


Quiet Life or Blaze o' Glory?

by GooseFraba09



Category: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Drama & Romance, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Fluff, Graphic Description, References to Depression, Slow Burn, Suicide
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:54:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 53,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28858419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GooseFraba09/pseuds/GooseFraba09
Summary: This story drills down on female V's (based on the 2018 model) and Judy Alveraz's seperate journeys in Night City, ultimately coming together as a couple.Chapters will stagger between V/Judy's perspectives of several events/missions throughout the game and possibly beyond. Original scenes will be mixed in with CP2077s questline for Judy.Slow burn at the beginning, but explicit content between the two will occur prior to Pyramid Song (and during Pyramid Song ofc). Explicit scenes will be slow/romantic. [[Think my intention will be V/Judy have flings/FWB until finally gaining output status during Pyramid Song]]
Relationships: Judy Alvarez & Female V, Judy Alvarez/Female V
Comments: 81
Kudos: 256





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: I feel the need to mention that this is the first fanfic I've ever written… so please go easy on me! :) 
> 
> [Focus] Judy & V's thoughts and feelings relating to multiple situations/events in the story. You will see that there is an in-depth view of their inner thoughts. Their emotions will change over time.
> 
> [Perspective] Told through V (based on the 2018 female V model) and Judy Alvarez's perspectives. Chapters will stagger starting with V's perspective, then followed by Judy's perspective of the same event.
> 
> [V's Background] Street Kid with high stats in intelligence, tech, reflexes, and cool. Lesbian.
> 
> [Cyberpunk Information] The majority of the information within the story is pulled directly from marketing video playthroughs from CD Projekt Red (like V's birthday and the start date of her journey), information within Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay (like dialogue, shard data, mission structure, etc.), and Cyberpunk lore.
> 
> [Creative Liberties/Original Content] I've taken several creative liberties with some moments/scenes, text messages, timeline, etc. I've added additional scenes that are not within the game between V and Judy to fill in some serious gaps and to help establish their relationship. For example, after the interlude, V is tasked to locate Evelyn - V has the option to call Judy to find out where Evelyn is… However, V never had Judy's number prior to getting flatlined. Somehow Judy's contact information is randomly added to V's phone even though no one gave it to her...?! I've added a scene to Chapter One that covers how (in my world) V obtained Judy's number. Also, all characters within the story are from Cyberpunk 2077 (I've had to assign names to nameless NPCs). No original characters have been created.

# Chapter 1: "The Information" (V's Perspective)

  


"Holy shit. Wasn't sure we'd walk out in one piece." Jackie was hunched over, hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He slowly straightened up, stretching his arms behind his back; his chest was sore. He rolled his head back and forth, trying to loosen the stiffness in his neck. Ducking and dodging bullets was no walk in the park. 

V had just finished a brief conversation with a Militech agent and approached Jackie with a grin. "We did it Jackie - you did great. We got the flathead and we're still alive." V struck Jackie's back with a prideful smack.

Jackie let out a small laugh, shaking his head, looking down towards the ground, "Dex best be crackin' us open a bottle when we meet him tomorrow at the Afterlife. Actually no - he better treat us to a _mierda_ ton of free shots." 

V's eyes flashed bright blue as her holo began to ring. "Well speak of the devil" V mutteredd. A box with a live feed to Dexter Deshawn popped up in the upper lefthand corner of her vision.

> Dexter: How're things lookin', Miss V?  
>  V: We got the bot.  
>  Dexter: And how'd it go? Run into any trouble? And what about the Militech angle?  
>  V: Sure. 'Course there was trouble. Royce couldn't've given two shits that you and Brick had shaken on it.  
>  Dexter: How'd you get him on board? You use the corpo woman?  
>  V: Met with Stout. Managed to strike a deal.  
>  Dexter: Well, well.  
>  V: Gave me a chip with scratch for Maelstrom.  
>  Dexter: So you paid for the Flathead with corp cash.  
>  V: No. Decided we could use the eddies instead… and we just grabbed the bot.  
>  Dexter: Jus' like that…?  
>  V: Not just. Had to use violence.  
>  Dexter: *chuckling in amusement* You got some balls, Miss V.  
>  V: We're all set, ready to go. What now?  
>  Dexter: Now I need you to chat with the client. I gave her a ring - let her know you'll be meetin' up with her.  
>  V: Great, I'll go see her.  
>  Dexter: See ya, Miss V.

V's irises faded back to their normal dark brown hue. Jackie looked at the caked-on synthmeat and other dried fluids on his jacket and pants, trying to wipe it off. Bullets had pierced bags of synthmeat during the firefight in All Foods, spraying them with raw mealworm muck. " _Ay huele feo_ … this meat. Ack… I can taste it…"

V snickered. , "I thought you loved meat?" Jackie was not amused. "Buhh… yeah, but not like this. I like eating it - not wearing it. We smell like sewage." Jackie gave up trying to clean himself off and sighed, "What time is it?" 

V looked around and realized it was dark outside. When she and Jackie entered the food production warehouse it was early evening. V's eyes glowed a bright orange, her eyes flickering left and right, "It's almost 11PM. Jesus, how long were we in there?" V's eyebrows squeezed together as she shook her head, her eyes losing the bright orange glow.

" _Hijole_ …" Jackie sighed, " _Yeeeeeshh_ \- I think I've had enough for one night. It's late - Gonna see if Misty'll let me crash at hers. Too tired to ride to Heywood." Jackie headed off towards his pride and joy, an ARCH Nazaré, a customized motorcycle he purchased with the eddies from their last gig, saving a corpo woman from a scav den, and a ' _muy pequeñito_ ' loan from who knows where. 

"You headin' home?" Jackie asked V, glancing over his shoulder as he swung a leg over his bike. V shook her head, "Not yet. Headin' over to Lizzie's. It's open now and Dex said he would arrange a meeting with our client. 'Evelyn Parker' is her name." 

Jackie eyed V up and down. She had blood and a few skull chunks matted in her hair, synthmeat sprayed all over her shirt and pants, and some other foreign liquids on her hands and sneakers. "You're gonna go… _like that_?" V’s eyes narrowed. 

" _No_ … Apartment ain't far from here and Lizzie's ain't far from there. I'll go freshen' up before meetin' her." V popped up her orange glowing collar on her favorite netrunner jacket, "Gotta look preem for this meet - represent us well!"

Jackie snorted and his eyes flashed blue, firing up his bike. " _¡Ahí te ves_ V! See you at the Afterlife tomorrow!" Jackie peeled out onto the street, kicking up smoke and speeding off, leaving the smell of burnt rubber behind him.

###### 

V pulled a grey towel off her head and tossed it on the bed. She had wrapped her hair up after a hot shower to dry and now was wrestling with what to wear. It wasn’t cold enough outside to need a jacket and not warm enough for short sleeves. She settled on a pair of black synthleather pants, a long sleeve white shirt, and a pair of fresh black sneakers. 

"Either Evelyn Parker's got the best intel in town, the biggest pile of scratch, or the brightest goddamn lucky star twinkling over her at night. Fuck, maybe she got all three. Still, good thing Dex is sending me to this meet. No offense Jackie, but I clean up better. If this goes down right, Evelyn'll be a nice new contact for us. And you know the deal - _won't get anywhere without contacts in Night City_. So don't fuck it up, Val," she muttered to herself.

V glanced toward her apartment bay window. The neon blue digital clock flashed on the glass. **Almost midnight** , V thought to herself. 

She walked to the room where she kept her weapons and eyed her selection of pistols on display. V reached for a handgun she recently polished. **Good 'ol trusty**. She grabbed a holster hanging near the gun and affixed it tightly to her thigh. 

V slid a newly loaded clip into the base of the gun, cocked back the chamber to make sure there were no jams, and slid the gun into its sleeve. She grabbed a few extra clips, and stashed them in the holster, shifting the fabric back and forth on her pants to ensure a snug fit. 

V nodded to herself. **All right, good to go**. She clicked the lights off in the weapons room and headed out the door.

###### 

V drove down Night City’s streets in her black Archer, a vehicle brand notoriously known for its low quality build. It’s nothing flashy, but it gets the job done and saved her Jackie's asses on more than one occasion. 

She noticed a few stars were fighting their way through the pollution that populated the evening sky - desperate to shine. 

On her right, NCDP officers had taken down a lowly pack of Tyger Claws, forcing the gangoons’ faces into the pavement. Behind her, horns were blaring, cars were racing to pass each other, on their way to who knows where this late at night. The city never seemed to come alive like this when the sun was out. **No wonder they call it Night City** , V snickered to herself.

###### 

The drive from V’s apartment to Lizzie’s bar was about 10 minutes if the traffic wasn’t bad. 

V pulled up. **Looks like Lizzie's is pretty busy tonight.**

She was lucky enough to find a parking spot. V stepped out of the car and scanned the area. People were chatting on concrete benches, taking long drags on cheap cigarettes, and swigs from large, glass bottles. More patrons leaned against neon signs close to the bar advertising “The Watson Whore”, some TV show V recognized from ads on repeat. 

Nearby was an ad for Mr. Whitney, a popular energy bar. "Life is too short to be slow", V recited the slogan under her breath. **How fitting for Night City**. V headed toward the entrance.

Lizzie’s logo flickered a blinding electric blue. Next to the entrance with two double doors stood two signs in the shape of female silhouettes. One of the female silhouettes was pink and holding an ax, the other blue, holding a bat. 

In front of the door were two women, club bouncers. Their hair colors and the color of their attire oppositely matched the female silhouettes above them; the blue-haired female bouncer held an ax and the pink one held a bat. **Was that intentional?** V wondered as she walked up to the door.

The blue one was leaning against the door, taking a long drag from a cigarette. The pink one blocked V’s entrance. V quickly scanned her. The words _[Rita Wheeler, Affiliation: The Mox]_ flashed in front of her eyes. 

**Thanks Vik.** Viktor, her ripper doc, recently loaded an updated NCPD file search engine into her Kiroshi optics.

Rita flashed a grin towards V, "Hey there dollface. Interest you in a preem BD?" she swung her bat and laid it across her shoulders, shifting her weight from one leg to the other. 

V returned the playful grin, "Whaddaya got?" The blue-haired bouncer took another long drag from her cigarette and looked over at V, "What don't we got? Women and men of your dreams, synaptic acting A-listers. No washed-up virtuporn boytoys or blow-up dolls here." Rita piped in, "Amateur stuff - It'll grip your heart and blow your nerves right outta your body. Pure bit-based ecstasy - THAT'S why people come here."

V raised both eyebrows, impressed, "Clearly know how to sell it.". Rita dropped the cheerful act and narrowed her eyes at V, "Not a sales pitch, it's a warning. I'll give you one word - _bespoke_. Not for everyone's synapses." "Think you can handle it?" the blue-haired bouncer asked, lighting another cigarette. V cocked her head to the side, "Bespoke - damn, that sounds promising. I get it, I'm in."

"Mmmhmm..." Rita eyed V up and down suspiciously, pulling her bat down from her shoulders and into her hands. "Couple of things you need to know first..." Rita cleared her throat, purposefully hitting the palm of her left hand with the bat - in a way that looked almost threatening. 

"...First, there are severe penalties for any unauthorized recording." She quickly swung her bat in V's direction, using it as a pointer, "No drugs, no groping..." and lowered her bat, pointing towards V's thigh, "... and no shooting."

The blue-haired bouncer tapped on her cigarette, dropped ash to the ground. "If someone catches your eye, you do NOT grab 'em. Ya find 'em in the catalog, ask for a BD, and get yourself a box." She lifted the cigarette to her lips and took in another long drag. 

V held back an eye roll. She looked quickly between the two women, and exhaled out a long drawn out sigh, "I really look that green to you? Like I don't know… ?" she couldn’t hold it in anymore and rolled her eyes at the bouncers.

The bouncers looked at each other as if speaking without words. The blue-haired bouncer gave a small shrug of her shoulders and drifted her gaze away from Rita and V, finishing off what remained of her cigarette. 

As V waited for a response, a small group of what looked like young adults, possibly in their very early twenties, began to approach. A timid and scrawny member of the group was practically getting dragged in by his choombas. He seemed very nervous, but also a bit excited - probably his first time ever going to a place like this. They teased him, promising that he and his ' _lil pecker_ ' would lose their virginities tonight.

Rita nodded her head slowly and looked towards V. " _Mhmmmm._ " She paused for a moment and then flashed V a wink, "Door's open." Rita tapped her bat on the ground then took a large step to the side as the bar's entrance behind her slowly opened. 

As V began to walk past the bouncers into the bar, Rita leaned forward and whispered in V’s ear, "Have fun, cutie…!" As the mercenary walked in, she heard Rita begin to intimidate the young man as his chooms stood back and laughed. "Hey there dollface. You even old enough to handle our girls? They'll tear your cute little ass up. _Guaranteed._ " **Poor kid. Has noooo idea what he's walkin' into.** The double doors slide shut behind V as she stood in the lobby, taking in her surroundings.

To V's left was a dark L shaped couch where three people sat, smoking and sipping on drinks. In front of her was a pink glowing counter that a purple-haired woman stood behind. She wore a lot of purple; purple makeup, purple spiked collar, purple shirt, purple pants -- everything was purple except her skin. She took a sip of what V believed was coffee. "My… what a _sweet_ little face you have..." the employee said with a sly smile, batting her eyelashes. The merc returned a friendly smile, taking note of the very large Mox gang tattoo near the woman's pelvis. 

There was a pile of datashards on the counter advertising information about who the Moxes were and the history of how Lizzie's Bar came to be. Though V grew up in Night City and knew about Lizzie's and the Mox gang, she picked up a shard and popped it into the vacant neural slot behind her ear. **Doesn't hurt to know more about who you're dealing with** , V thought to herself.

Her irises glowed a bright orange as information loaded and flashed up into her Kioshi's - _["The Mox came to exist because it had to. We didn't have a soul in our corner, no one to make sure street justice was on our side. So we took matters into our own hands. The Mox is composed of the people who, if any of them disappeared from the streets tomorrow, you might never even notice: sex workers, 'ennyless artists, aimless rebels, and restless souls who weren't dealt a fair hand. Today, the Mox is thriving, as demonstrated by the booming biz of Lizzie's Bar.]_

The information quickly refreshed with new information as V finished reading the last word - _["Lizzie's is renowned for being arguably the best braindance club in Night City. Corporate suits, gangoons, pop stars, and locals alike all gather at Lizzie's to kick back, have a drink, and dip into the most beautifully scrolled and tuned BDs you've ever experienced."]_

V had only visited Lizzie's Bar once before, three years ago. Some of her Heywood chooms took her there for her birthday - right before she left for Atlanta. They wanted V to experience the ‘ _best BDs Night City had to offer_ ’. However, watching smut wasn't really V's thing, but she was coaxed into it anyway.

_["You'll find no better braindance club in the city, no matter how deep you dig. Modern boxes, solid tech, but most important: the catalog, chock-full of nearly any experience you can imagine. You'll find everything you need to get you off - fast or slow, nasty or classy, and everything in-between. Don't let the girls at the front door scare you off or kill your buzz - they're wary of newcomers, but once you get in they'll treat you like one of their own."]_

She continued to read the shard, skimming over the story of Lizzie, the stripper who stood up against a Tyger Claw gonk and ended up getting flatlined two days later by the gang. A sad story, but an impactful one. Lizzie's bold move empowered several other workers to ban together, outnumber, and outfight the Tyger Claws, winning the bar's independence for a small percentage of earnings. 

V slid the shard out of her neural slot and reached over to return it to the pile. As V placed down the shard, she noticed the phrase "FUCK TO DEATH" reflected backward on the countertop from a large pink neon sign on the wall. She glanced up toward the employee, who was now on her phone participating in an intense text conversation. 

The mercenary proceeded past the counter towards another set of doors which had a purple neon sign above that flickered "LIZZIE'S BAR". She could hear music leaking under the small gap at the bottom of the doors.

###### 

V was greeted by loud music and the hum of several club goers chatting and dancing with one another. There were also the lower murmurs coming from clients sitting on synthleather couches, wearing BD wreaths that flashed bright blue lights into their eyes. R E L & Artemis Delta's ' _Night City_ ' pumped over the speakers, the bass thumping V's diaphragm and rattling her eardrums. 

She glanced up to see glass - on the second level appeared to be a DJ booth that overlooked the club. V watched as the DJ, a young woman with short blue spiked hair, bobbing her head to the beat. The woman gradually lost herself into her music, leaping up and down while pumping her right fist into the air as the bass dropped and the tempo sped up.

Flashing red laser lights descended from the ceiling and bounced throughout the club, the beams catching themselves on the smokey haze that seemed to touch every corner of the building. V allowed her eyes time to adjust to the dim and foggy room, taking in the stale smell of smoke, alcohol, and sweat.

A waitress quickly brushed past V with a tray full of shot glasses. "Sorry, s'cuse me sweetheart", the waitress said, flashing V a sultry smile. 

"All depends on what you're into. Maybe you can tell me about it... over another round of drinks?" Asked a voice nearby. The mercenary looked toward her right and saw a man leaning against the wall, talking to a young, petite woman.

The man had shaggy, unkempt looking hair, wearing a black blazer that hung open, a white button-down shirt underneath half untucked, and a tie dangling from his neck, half undone. He spoke with a slur towards a woman who twirled a strand of her green hair around one of her fingers. She wore a translucent blue jacket, white short shorts, and a golden neon glowing shirt.

"Ey! Another round here, stat!" shouted the man in the direction of the waitress that had brushed past V earlier. The waitress looked up and nodded in acknowledgment toward the man. 

"So, what can a horny girl like me do for a hungry guy like you?" cooed the green-haired woman. "A little vanilla and sprinkles?... Or maybe kinkier? Wax?... Maybe electrosex! Zappies… power implants. Hmmm?" she tilted her head lower, continuing to twirl her hair, batting her eyes up at the man. 

The man moved towards the girl, hiccuping and grinning, with a carnal desire in his eyes. The woman quickly took a step back, avoiding the man as he tried to get too close.

"Nah…" slurred the man. "Here's what I want…" he reached over and tightly gripped the woman's wrist. "You and your girlfriend. Wearin' high heels, blindfolds, and bitgags,'' He sneered.

"Hmmm… no… problem," said the woman, who broke her wrist free in a sly yet flirtatious manner. "You buyin' or rentin'?" she asked the man. "Renting. How much?" he demanded. "Relax baby. It'll go on your tab." She smiled lightly and bounced on her heels, "I think I got just the thing for you too! This one's me and Candice. You'll feel us _eeeeverywhere_ … It'll be fun!" she licked her top lip and slowly glanced down between the man's legs, then looked back into his eyes as she slowly bit her bottom lip. 

"So, see you on the other side, baby…" She winked and blew a kiss towards the man, who flashed a huge grin back at her. The woman quickly spun around on her heel and walked away. Her charming smile quickly turned to an annoyed purse of her lips as she rolled her eyes and quickly headed towards a door that only employees could enter. V chuckled to herself, **No one likes corpos, especially drunken, entitled, and handsy corpos.**

Near the drunken corpo man were two private booths enclosed by thick glass. The booths were occupied by what looked like more corpos - men and women in expensive attire chatting, drinking, and BD playing.

V began to head further into the club, walking past strangers grinding who were grinding on each other. She was careful as she skillfully glided in-between the dancers, taking care to not make contact with their bodies. She wasn't really a people person and didn't like being too close to strangers - who knows if they could suddenly pull out a knife or gun on her.

As she walked further into the club she saw an area glowing brightly - a large neon sign illuminated "LIZZIE'S BAR'' above a counter that burned a bright white with a slight purple tint. This was the club's bar, a hotspot for the club goers. **Maybe the bartender'll know if Evelyn's here.**

Bar stools were filled with people conversing with each other as they drank a variety of different drinks; Beers, vodka shots, and some other drink that was on fire. The others who didn't have drinks were leaning over the counter, attempting to get the bartender's attention so they could place their orders.

The bartender had muted purple hair slicked back, wearing a teal shirt that was unbuttoned, exposing his chest and stomach. The shirt was patterned with streaks of whites, reds, and yellows that stood out under all the neon lights. A white hand towel was draped over his left shoulder as he poured drinks with grace and filled orders with finesse - he remained cool and calm, despite having multiple people shouting and waving, attempting to grab his attention to place orders. 

A man slid himself off from one of the barstools, leaving the prime real-estate vacant. He carried multiple drinks toward another group of men who were sitting at a booth, all with BD players in hand. They smiled at the man as they saw all of their drink orders arriving. Who knows how long they'd been waiting.

As V walked in the bar's direction, hoping to claim the empty barstool as her own, she noticed something in the corner of her eye. One of the many drunken dancers attempted to show off their skills, either for fun or to try and impress someone. They had lost their balance and began to fall toward V.

The merc quickly pivoted on her foot, turning to the side, allowing the dancer to fall onto the ground and not into her. She raised her eyebrow at the person on the floor as they laughed and slurred incoherent words to themselves. **What’a gonk**. She proceeded to step over the dancer and continue on her way.

She managed to reach the bar in one piece. Luckily for her, the barstool was still vacant. She swung her leg over the synthleather cushion and sat down, making herself comfortable.

At the end of the bar was a rather overweight bald man wearing headphones around his neck, smoking a cigarette and chatting with two women; one of the women had long orange and white hair and giggled a lot as she knocked back what looked like a shot of vodka. The second woman was very tall and also bald. She had tattoos that spiraled around her skull that pulsed bright yellow glow. 

Next to them was a woman texting on her phone - it didn't seem like she was a member of their group. She had a short blonde mohawk and wore unapologetically large pink circular rimmed sunglasses. She scowled down at her phone and quickly placed it on the bar counter. The woman swallowed a large gulp from a green bottle that sat in front of her before she grabbed her phone, returning to whatever text conversation she was previously part of.

Beside the blonde mohawk woman sat another woman whose legs were gracefully crossed. She took a long drag from her cigarette as she slowly looked around the nightclub. Smoke danced beautifully from her lips as she blew it out. With a gentle flick over her ashtray, the glowing amber end of her cigarette fell.

This woman had short light blue hair that ended at her jawline and her bangs ended halfway down her forehead. Everything about her glowed with enigmatic worldlines. Her body features were almost as striking as her attire. She wore bright, flashy colors that were fashionable for any Night City celebrity. The most noticeable part of her garments was the large white pinkish purple mane erupting from the collar of her coat. It reminded V of a beautiful peacock whose tail feathers were spread out on display.

The blue-haired woman began talking to another woman who was standing next to her. 

This petite woman was nonchalantly leaning back against the bar's counter. The glow emitting from the bar highlighted every stunning feature and curve on her body.

She wore a white tank top that was tied up tightly under her breasts, almost exposing her stomach had her black synthleather overalls not blocked the view. Various tattoos kissed her skin -- roses, 'M' and 'Moxes' in calligraphy, a cartoon ghost popping out of a clam shell, the Moxes iconic skull girl, and a shark. She had other tattoos on her right arm that V couldn't see and she most likely had tattoos in other places that the mercenary wouldn't mind discovering if invited.

Similarly to V's, the woman's head was half shaven but the hair that draped down on the right side of her face was cut a bit shorter than the merc's. Above the woman's left ear was a black and silver metal plate that had small words etched into it that V couldn't quite make out. 

Majority of the woman's hair was dyed green and purple before it faded to her natural color; a dark brown. There were a few rebellious strands that refused to stay grouped with the bulk of her hair, as they hung down in her face in an imperfectly perfect way. The stray strands that had caught V's eye motioned the mercenary to explore the woman's face.

She had a young face and her porcelain skin looked smooth as silk. Her eyebrows were the color of her natural hair and well manicured with a slight arch. Her button shaped nose was delicately curved. The woman's full rounded lips donned a rose matte lipstick. There was a plumpness to them that made the merc’s legs feel weak; had she not been sitting, V was sure she'd have fallen over.

But when V caught a glimpse of the woman's eyes, she felt like her breath had been stolen from her. 

The woman wore sharp black winged eyeliner and black mascara hugged her long eyelashes. Her eyes were hazel brown in color with green flecks. Something about her eyes -- the way they danced about as she watched people on the dance floor left V with an ache in her chest; she felt like she wanted the woman's eyes to be on her, and only her. 

**Woah. Man, if I wasn't here on business… would totally introduce myself to this girl… maybe.** V was a mercenary who could dive into extremely dangerous situations with a grin on her face, but when it came to girls she liked, she was a tad bit shy. Her life as a mercenary did not leave room for dating or outputs. So, she was a bit rusty and tended to just keep to herself in these types of situations.

The current song came to an end and a new song began to play: A remixed version of Clockwork Venus' _BM_. Almost all of the club goers, excluding those viewing BDs, cheered and either continued to dance, or joined the dance floor. The sudden movement of people snapped V out of her daze.

V glanced up towards the DJ in the glass booth who now had both of her hands swaying in the air, smiling down at the cheering crowd. V returned to scouting out people at the bar, hoping to identify who Evelyn might be, or if she was even there. She had a strong urge to look back at the tattoo covered Mox, but valiantly fought back.

Beyond V's stool were a few more people, a man with a thin mustache wearing a bright red neon visor and matching triangular shaped earrings, laughing at another man beside him. The other man sported a blonde meticulously trimmed beard and wore his long flaming red hair tied up in a bun, sharing a laugh with his choom. 

Approaching the men was the same waitress who V seemed to keep seeing. **They only got one waitress or somethin'?** She was returning to the bar to drop off several empty glasses and pick up more filled drink orders. She flashed the men a smile as she discarded and reloaded her tray with liquor glasses that were filled to the brim. V was impressed at how well the waitress could balance the drinks, never spilling a drop.

The mercenary peeked over toward the bartender to see if he was available yet to chat. He was still dressing up drinks and pouring orders. V watched him pour those drinks like it was an art form. As he poured a row of vodka shots, she noticed his forearms - they were covered in tattoos. She was able to identify screws and bolts, a few wrenches, the word 'MOXED', and a diamond-studded anal plug. **I wonder if some of those tattoos are random or if they have any meaning behind them** , V pondered. 

The bartender finished pouring the shots and returned the tequila to the liquor shelf. He looked at all his satisfied customers and noticed V - someone he hadn't filled an order for. He grabbed the white towel off of his shoulder along with an empty glass, polishing it as he walked over towards her.

"Hey", V said towards the man. He had black eyes with white irises. "Get you something?" he asked with a smile, placing the clean glass down on the counter. "Lookin' for an Evelyn Parker. Know if she's here?" The bartender continued to look at V, his smile fading, "Who's asking?" "Name's V. Evelyn and I have a… date." V heard a glass clink down on the counter nearby but continued her eye contact with the stubborn bartender. She raised an eyebrow up toward him, pressing for an answer. 

"Well V, it's a pleasure. I'm Mateo'' responded the man, avoiding to give V the answer she was seeking. "Uh-huh… So… Evelyn?" V squinted her eyes and leaned in a little closer to Mateo, again, pressing for an answer. He sighed and looked around, slightly uncomfortable. "Club's big. You're 'onna have to look around. Can't do it for you." **The hell I gotta do to get some info? Maybe eddies will ‘em him sing.**

V shook her head but before she could open her mouth in response, a woman chimed in. "It's alright Mateo. I was waitin' for this one." The merc quickly looked to her left. The woman who was two stools over with short blue hair and bangs placed her cigarette in an ashtray. 

She stood up, grabbing her purse off of the counter, and walked over toward V. There was a powerful yet graceful elegance about this woman. She placed her purse back on the counter and leaned over, giving V a provocative smile. She then broke her eye contact and glanced over at Mateo, who had grabbed two glasses from under the bar and placed them on the counter. She nodded at him and he popped open an amber bottle, pouring liquid in each glass.

"Evelyn Parker" the blue-haired woman said, returning her eyes to V. She smiled again with a charming and alluring aura radiating from her. The left corner of her mouth slowly raised higher into a smirk with her left brow following suit. In a flirtatious tone, she leaned a little closer toward V, "I knew it was you the moment you walked in." 

The mercenary slowly raised both eyebrows, staring at Evelyn. Her attention quickly broke as she heard Mateo slide the filled glasses toward them. V picked up the glass and took a small sip. She was surprised. **Oh shit. Is this my drink? Dude this is totally my drink.** The taste was familiar to her as she downed the rest of the drink.

V looked at Mateo, "Centzon? Only tequila I drink." She turned, narrowing her eyes and exchanging a smirk back towards the blue-haired woman. **She did her homework. She's good. Real good.** "Mhmmm. How did you know?" asked V, lowering her head slightly toward Evelyn with an eyebrow still cocked, not breaking eye contact.

Evelyn blinked flirtatiously towards V, "I like to know everything about the people I work with…" she broke eye contact, now looking towards her own glass of tequila, circling her finger around the rim. She flicked a glance back at V, "...either that or it was just a lucky guess." She gave a half-hearted shrug while picking up her glass to take a sip. She studied V's face or a reaction. **Did she do her homework... or was it luck?** V shook the thought from her mind - **doesn't matter**. "Mind if we talk about the job? I heard you got somethin' for me." V asked coolly, spinning her barstool towards Evelyn's direction.

The blue-haired woman gave a slight nod toward V, "Mhm." She swallowed the tequila in her mouth and placed the glass on the counter while smacking her lips, "But not here." She lifted the glass again and drank the remaining amount of tequila. She closed her eyes as she shook her head slightly back and forth, swallowing the remaining liquid, finishing it off with a breathy exhale. **Can't tell if she's nervous or just doesn't like Centzon…**

"Come with me" Evelyn looked at the mercenary, then glanced over towards the bartender while snatching her purse from the counter, "We'll be in the longue Mateo. If anyone asks…" Evelyn spun around and began stepping away from the bar "... we aren't here." She glanced over her shoulder toward V, who was still sitting at the bar.

The merc quickly hopped off her stool and followed Evelyn. They walked through a pair of double sliding doors into a hallway where a few employees were speaking privately with customers. 

A couple of the employees were extremely close to their clients; One ran her fingers through a male client's hair while coaxing him to purchase another round of BDs and another round of shots. Further down the hall, another employee traced her finger up and down a woman's arm while she browsed the catalog.

Evelyn walked ahead of V, up to a door, and pressed a touchscreen pad. The door slid open as Evelyn slowly pivoted on her heel to face V - she leaned against the doorframe and gestured for V to enter, "In you go". V noticed the expression on Evelyn's face - she was no longer smiling but looked serious.

V entered the booth, taking in the decor. In the middle of the room was an illuminated table that had glasses and bottles of liquor on it. A holographic stripper danced slowly above the table. Noticing V's entrance, the hologram slowly bit her lower lip and smiled towards V. The stripper reached a hand out and pointed a finger at V, slowly beckoning her finger back in a come hither motion.

V ignored the hologram and walked over to the black couch that circled around the room. She felt Evelyn follow her in, hearing her click open her purse and rummage around through it. V found her seat and looked over toward the blue-haired woman who had found a cigarette in her purse, pulled it out, and began lighting it. Evelyn pressed a small button near the door and it slid closed.

"Dex had a load to say about you. Called you professional. Effective…" Evelyn narrowed her eyes at V, scanning her face while flicking the orange glowing ash of her cigarette on the floor "... and _trustworthy_." Evelyn crossed her left arm in front of her, laying her hand in the crease of her right arm. She raised her right hand up into the air, holding her cigarette. "I hope he wasn't overselling..." 

She lifted her head up slightly while looking down toward V, her tone almost cold. **She's analyzing me. Why would Dex have a load to say about me? We literally just met today.** V shifted ever so slightly in her seat, staring straight at Evelyn. "I'm good at what I do. I've got a solid crew at my back, too. Never once botched a job." 

She continued to look at Evelyn, with a stern matter-of-fact expression. Evelyn quickly fired a rebuttal, "You do realize I expect more from you than scraping street corner dataterms? Much, much more." Evelyn took a long drag from her cigarette, still watching V for an expression. 

"I'm the best. And I know what I'm getting into. Dex was clear - The job's high-risk." V continued in her resolve, trying to remain cool and convince Evelyn that she was capable and confident of pulling off this heist - but more importantly, V was trying to convince herself that she actually could pull it off.

###### 

They exited the room, making a right down the hallway. V tilted her head and frowned toward Evelyn, "How's a braindance supposed to help? I need facts, not thrills." Evelyn scoffed as she continued walking. Responding in a mocking tone, "Think BDs are only good for fondling virtual tits, jackin' off to in these boxes?" 

Evelyn turned a sharp corner down another hallway. V followed behind, turning so sharply that she almost slammed into a couple who are making out against the wall. V stumbled slightly, trying to avoid a collision. She regained her footing and walked faster to catch up to the blue-haired woman. Evelyn was marching on at a brisk pace.

The blue-haired woman continued, "No. They can be a very useful tool. Good for analyzing details human perception--even boosted--doesn't grasp." She glanced behind towards V, "Exactly what you need."

They continued walking and entered what appeared to be an employee dressing room. There were three Moxes hovering over a mirror, applying blushes, eyeliners, lipstick, and plucking eyebrows. Evelyn and V walked through the room, heading through another door. 

"This BD is of Yorinobu's suite. The interior. You'll have to find the relic yourself. I hope I captured enough data for you." They began to descend down a flight of stairs to what seemed like the club's basement. "Woah, hold up… so you mean to tell me that YOU scrolled this BD?" V asked Evelyn, wide-eyed with a shock of surprise in her tone. 

Evelyn reached the landing and stopped before continuing down the next flight. She spun around and faced V, "Mhm..." she nodded, crinkling her nose towards the mercenary. "BD rec implant. Why, you object?" V stumbled for a moment, taken aback by the question. "Er…" **Okay, maybe that came out wrong.** "...N-no. No objections. None at all" V mumbled. "Let's see this braindance."

The two continued down the stairs and through the dark and dim basement. Ahead of them, another set of doors stood. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Evelyn spoke again, "Judy will help us. She's a Mox too. Besides, we go back uh… years." 

The two reached the set of double doors but Evelyn did not open them. Instead, she stopped and turned around, folding her arms across her chest. "V, this is important." She sighed with solemnity in her tone, "Judy's always been there for me. Always helped out. I trust her… But she's a Mox. Not the latest member of your crew. Try not to forget." 

There was a bit of coldness to Evelyn's remark, almost like a threat. "So… You'll be a good girl, tread lightly, and keep that tongue of yours on a leash." Evelyn slowly raised an eyebrow, awaiting a sign of understanding and agreement from her guest. V lifted her hands up in the air, yielding, "Relaaax. Believe it or not, I'm no stranger to tact. In biz, or life." 

A smile washed over Evelyn's lips as she turned around and opened the double doors. They walked into another room that was warm and glowed a soft red, filled with computer servers and other technologies. V paused for a moment to glance around - **Wow, they must need some serious hardware to run all of the black boxes and tech upstairs.**

The merc hadn't noticed how long she had been gawking at the equipment before realizing that Evelyn was waiting in another room. She looked over at V and motioned for her to come over.

As V made her way into the room, she noticed a woman lounging back in a chair next to Evelyn. V caught a glimpse of the stranger and immediately recognized the woman's attire. **Hey wait - this was the woman who was standing next to Evelyn at the bar.**

The tattooed woman wore a braindance wreath, her eyes glowing a bright blue as the player flashed bright lights into her eyes. She wore a glove covered in tech on one hand, which was lifted in the air making small movements and jerks. On the monitors next to her, several different porn clips were playing. 

"Ahem…" Evelyn loudly cleared her throat and folded her arms across her chest while staring down at the tattooed woman. The blue flashing lights on the stranger's wreath immediately turned off and the blue in her eyes faded. The woman shook her head slightly, letting her sights adjust to the dimness of the room. 

She looked up towards V and her eyes widened. Then she quickly looked toward her right and saw a familiar face - after regaining her bearings, she smiled up toward Evelyn, " _Heeeey_ , there you are!" Evelyn looked down at the woman and motioned a hand towards V's direction, "This is V. She's here for that BD roll." Evelyn unfolded her arms and made a gesture towards the woman. "And V… This is Judy - best braindance editor I know."

Judy immediately smiled and rolled her eyes, glancing away towards a monitor that was playing hard-core porn. She batted her hand in the blue-haired woman's direction, "Ugh, enough already. Gonna make me barf." Evelyn placed a hand on her hip and dramatically rolled her eyes, shaking her head while looking towards the floor.

V looked around and nodded slowly, "Sensory sig amps, acoustic and emotive wave monitors…" She was so focused on studying the equipment in the room that she didn't notice Judy slowly turning her head away from the monitor, ears perked up, with a warm smile aimed up toward the mercenary. 

"Huh… top-shelf hardware" V said as she continued to look at the tech before looking towards the techie. Judy quickly averted her eyes while continuing to wear a big smile across her face, "Ehhh. Well, most of it’s customized. Only things factory here are the casings." 

V raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. "Mod all this yourself?" Judy cocked an eyebrow towards V, continuing to smile, "What do you think?" V walked up closer to Judy, checking out the monitors, various sensors, and wiring on the desk. 

"Expression translator… Futuysuki, right? Thought the matrices on that series were fucked up." Judy nodded, "they were. But swappin' out matrices' simple. N' this was the only model that'd support additional scanwa--"

"Ahem", Evelyn loudly cleared her throat with annoyance. Neither Judy nor V had noticed Evelyn had been standing there with her arms folded across her chest, tapping her foot, clearly unamused by the conversation. 

Judy raised her hands in the air, " _All right… all right._ " She lowered them and gave one last smile toward the mercenary before resorting to a more serious tone."Compiled your BD, Ev," Judy reached up and removed her braindance player as Evelyn looked eagerly towards the techie, "So what do you think? Think it'll do?" 

Judy tilted her head to the side and scrunched her nose, "Eh… well… still pretty raw, but yeah… it oughta do." Evelyn nodded toward Judy, "Mhm. V needs to get deep inside, that's most important." Judy inspected V for a moment, "So then..." she placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself out of the chair she was leaning back in, "...let's calibrate and tune it to her." 

Judy smiled at V as she headed towards her, turning her body to the side in an attempt to squeeze past the mercenary who was standing in her way. V stumbled back, almost falling in the process, "Er, oh. S-sorry." V felt her cheeks heat as the woman brushed past. 

A pleasant fragrance wafted from the tattooed woman. **Rose water - shampoo? Maybe perfume… or body wash?** Whatever it was, V liked it. Judy snickered toward the stumbling merc and sat down in her computer chair.

###### 

"So, how 'bout it, V?" She narrowed her eyes and dropped her octave lower, "Raw Braindance" She leaned back in her chair, "Ever taken a dip before?" V blinked rapidly for a moment. **I dunno what the hell a raw braindance is. How is it different from a normal braindance? Erhm…** "I think I can handle it. Let's just do this!" V blabbed out toward Judy, who immediately returned to typing away at her keyboard. 

She nodded at V but never broke eye contact from her monitor, "Right-o… Okay, siddown, settle in, and we'll get'cha goin'." Judy pushed herself away from the desk, rolling her chair backward. She bounced out of the chair and walked past V, flashing the merc another bright smile.

V eyed the braindance editor who was walking towards a chair in the middle of the room. **Wow, she's stunning,** V thought to herself. **Maybe she'd want to grab a drink later… er, Noooo. Nope. Here on business. Head outta the gutter, champ.** The mercenary heard Evelyn clear her throat again which snapped her out of her thought bubble. 

She blinked rapidly for a moment, feeling her cheeks flush slightly as she watched Evelyn stare at her. The merc quickly walked towards the chair in the middle of the room, climbing on it like a kid trying to crawl into a dentist's chair. Judy giggled as she watched V get flustered by Evelyn's impatience. 

The mercenary shifted around in her seat for a moment to get comfortable and then rested her hands on her lap. She glanced up at Judy who approached with a BD wreath in hand. Judy held the equipment up and paused for a moment, looking toward V for a sign of approval before placing the tech upon the mercs head. V gave Judy a small, encouraging nod and watched the techie gently place the wreath, making minor adjustments to the equipment so it fit snug, yet comfortable.

Judy stepped back slowly, eyeing the merc's head closely like V was a canvas and the artist was making sure each brushstroke was placed just right. Judy gave the merc another gentle smile and a confirming nod before she turned around and walked over to her desk. 

V couldn't help but notice the womanly sway of Judy's hips as she walked away. A movement that was sophisticated and mature with smooth creaminess, beckoning for someone to try its flavor. Then the merc noticed the techie's waist -- her luscious curves were well defined. A warmth began to build itself in V as her checks painted themselves red.

The merc quickly shook her head and gulped, forcing her eyes to break free from the trance the beautiful tattooed vixen cast on her. **The hell'm I doin'? Got a job to do. Focus, ya fuckin' gonk.** She bounced her gaze away, exploring the room as she felt the temperature in her cheeks lower. 

It was dark and there were several monitors and braindance equipment cast about - some hardware old, other hardware new. Her eyes happened to glide over toward Evelyn, who was watching V with suspicious eyes. **Ooohshit, how long she been watching me? Did she see me staring at…?** V blinked and stared at Evelyn like a deer caught in headlights, her cheeks beginning to feel even hotter. Evelyn shook her head and quickly rolled her eyes as she clicked open her purse to rummage for a cigarette.

"Okay! Gotta create your sensory profile first" Judy said, unknowingly breaking the awkward silence, as she began clicking away again at her keyboard. V turned to look towards the techie, "a what profile now?"

Judy tried to hide a laugh and flicked her eyes at V for a moment before looking back at her monitor. "Model of your perceptions and emotional responses. Need to adjust that so the raw BD won't overwhelm you." V furrowed her eyebrows in concern. **Huh? Did she say, _Overwhelm _me? The hell's that mean?__** _ ___

__Judy glanced at V again, seeing the confusion in the mercs eyes. "If I don't, best-case scenario, you'll get nauseous as soon as you're in. Prolly barf like you would in a shotty virtue enviro." V immediately felt her stomach flip, "Mhm… and… worst-case scenario?" Judy paused for a moment before locking eyes with the bothered mercenary._ _

__"Your synapses sizzle like locusts in a deep fryer..." The BD editor shrugged a shoulder and broke eye contact with V. The merc's eyes immediately grew large with anxiety as she raised a hand to rub the back of her neck nervously. **Oohkay. Not sure I'm gonna… go through with this…** Judy quickly looked back and chuckled at V, "...but we're not about to let that happen, nuh-uh." **Oh thank god.**_ _

__V let out a small, forced laugh. She removed the hand from her neck, lowering it back down to her thigh, "Okay. Hit me... Just promise me it won't hurt." Judy continued to watch the uncomfortable merc. She responded with a raised pitch, "It won't…" then dropping it, "... not this time." She tossed the merc a playful look and returned to her screen._ _

###### 

__V let out a loud and painful cry, lunging forward in her chair - her vision black but the image of Judy's studio slowly came into focus. V quickly yanked up her hand to touch the back of her head, desperately searching for a gaping hole in her skull. As her eyesight continued to return, the room spun around violently leaving the merc with an intense need to vomit._ _

__She swallowed hard and quickly pulled her hand down, inspecting her fingers, expecting to see blood or brain matter. She felt her blood draining from her face as her vision began to slowly fade out again, her skull throbbing with an intense pain that she could not describe._ _

__"Slow, deep breaths. Your cortisol and adrenaline spiked, but the soft activated your hormone blockers." V, struggling to keep herself from blacking out, looked up and met a pair of beautiful hazel brown staring eyes._ _

__Judy was leaninh over the armrest of the mercs chair with a gentle and comforting look in her stare, "Nothin' happened, you're alive and well." Her eyes scanned over V's face, searching to see if the mercenary grasped what was just said._ _

__V closed her eyes, letting her head drop low, slowly shaking it back and forth, trying to keep herself from blacking out. "Digame… how ya feelin'? Just breathe slowly, calmly. You're okay, it's all right…" Judy laid her hand on V's thigh, rubbing up and down, hoping it would help calm and stabilize the shaken merc._ _

__Electricity erupted through V, yanking her from teeter-tottering over the edge of consciousness. Judy's hand -- warm and soft, it's glide, soothing. V took a few deep breaths and began to relax. "That flash of… intense shock. I-I… can still feel it…" V's voice trembled as she spoke._ _

__Judy looked down toward the floor, slightly narrowing her eyes while her eyebrows furrowed, nodding as she listened. "...I remember…" V lifted her hand back up to the base of her skull, "... Fuck! That last s-second... " she lowered her hand back down, checking again for blood._ _

__The two women slowly looked at one another, eyes locking. Again, an electrical shock coarsed through V, her adrenaline spiking. She chuckled hoarsely, "...coulda warned me how much it hurts to die." Judy gave V a soft smile, "trust me…" she patted her hand on V's thigh before standing up, "...real death. It hurts much, much more." Judy playfully teased as she returned back to her computer._ _

__"Not so sure about that," mumbled V. The BD editor sat back down at her computer catching an impatient glimpse from Evelyn, "You'll be fine. Got everything set up. Let's switch over to editing mode." Judy clicked a button and the wreath began to pulsate, stealing V's vision away again._ _

###### 

__V felt the intense pain again as she finished practicing in editing mode on the same Heywood Hold-up braindance. However, this time she didn't react as violently as she had before. Seeing nothing but black, she heard Judy's voice while her vision slowly returned._ _

__"Yeah, 'mpressive, right? It's too bad most BDs we have here are good only for floggin' the log…" V reached her shaking hand up again to touch the back of her head to inspect for any wounds. The mercs stomach was still twisted from the first flatline and her head throbbed worse during the second one._ _

__"Anyway, you ready to do this? Look at your rec?" Judy inquired. V felt a chill travel up her spine, goosebumps forming all over her body. She shivered, "I-I… dunno. I…" The room spun while the mercenary took a moment to remove the quiver in her voice, "...Let's take a break..." **Oh shit… feel like pukin'**. V faught herself from retching, but still gagged slightly. _ _

__"Uggh…" She gulped as the color faded again from her face. Judy watched, her brows pressing together with concern. After the intense nausea wave had passed, V spoke again, her voice still shaking, "I… still feel like that kid... When… yeah… I think I'm done." She held her hands up in the air in surrender._ _

__Evelyn quickly chimed in, "V… There's no time. Get it together, please." Judy frowned as she looked over toward Evelyn who was sitting in a chair near V, arms crossed with her foot tapping with impatience. "...Okay... Okay…" exhaled V, as she let out a long breath of air. "... Okay. Just - Yeah. Okay." V cleared her throat, "Okay. Go ahead… I just need T-Bug to link in."_ _

__Judy immediately stood up, her hands slamming down on her desk. She leaned forward toward V, "Woah woah woah woah, what? Excuse me? Who?" She pushed her hands off her desk, standing up straight, folding her arms with distaste. She stared intensely at V who was caught off guard by the sudden flare-up._ _

__"S-she's a runner from my crew. Security specialist." V raised her hand, gesturing towards Judy, "She'll tell me what to look for while we analyze. No problem… I hope?" Judy quickly shook her head, looking downwards. She scuffed the floor with her shoe and looked coldly towards Evelyn, "Actually, it IS a problem. Not what we agreed, Ev."_ _

__V remained silent, scrunching her eyebrows together while looking at Evelyn with pleading eyes. Evelyn, seeing V's expression, stood up, "Judy, please…" Judy slammed both hands back down on her desk and leaned forward, glaring at Evelyn, "Ev, she wants to bring a 'RUNNER in. What part of that don't you understand?" Judy shook her head defiantly while Evelyn walked toward the desk. "How do I know she'll only slip into THIS footage?" Judy snarled, still glaring at Evelyn._ _

__"Me - I'm your guarantee" Evelyn answered, softly. Judy rolled her eyes, standing back up, she placed her hands on her hips, "Yeah, right..." "Remember our agreement…?" Evelyn asked Judy, quietly. "Help me. This one last time. I promise. Everything'll work out - just like we planned." Evelyn stared at Judy with eyes begging for agreement._ _

__Judy stared at Evelyn for a while, then towards V, then back to Evelyn. She let out a long, exaggerated sigh, dropping her arms lower, shaking her head back and forth. "Okay… Fine." Judy said, defeated. "Okay, V. Call in T-Bug and we'll dive in." V gave a small nod at the two women, her eyes flashing a vivid blue as she holo'ed T-Bug.__

> __T-Bug: Hey, V. What's happenin'?  
>  V: Bug, listen. I got some useful footage from Konpeki Plaza. It's a braindance.  
>  Judy: ...Konpeki? Oohh… thought as much.  
>  T-Bug: Someone there with you?  
>  V: Judy and Evelyn. They're chill. They're helping me work through this BD.  
>  T-Bug: … Uh-huh… All right… You gonna tell me what this' about?  
>  V: Listen… need your help. Got no clue what to look for once I'm in.  
>  T-Bug: All right. See if I can walk you through it… Jackin' into your tech now._ _

_  
_V's eyes dimmed to a royal blue before switching to a deep orange glow.

> T-Bug: Hmm. You've gotta give me access. Opening port 1779… Secure protocol?

V nodded.

> T-Bug: Good. I'm goin' in. Should be getting my request… now.

Red warning lights flashed through V's optics asking for approval to open the access port. V nodded and a loading bar appeared, filling rapidly.

> V: Got it. You ready?  
>  T-Bug: Uh, milisec... Oookay, connection confirmed. Now some quick temp ICE… aaaaaannnddd… We're clear. *T-Bug stretched her arms back and tilted her head, popping her neck* Ready to dance.  
>  V: Awesome. All right, fire 'er up Judy!

V's wreath screens began to pulsate blue, diving the merc and netrunner into a braindance they won't soon forget._  
_

###### 

__"Get everything you need?" Evelyn asked V as the mercenary regained her vision, "Yup… That'll do… Thanks, Judy. We got it - Later T-Bug." "Nice work today. See you soon" T-Bug nodded at V on the holo before disconnecting the call. "I'll wipe the cache on your data. You were never here" Judy pressed a button on her keyboard, then stepped away from her chair, walking over toward V._ _

__Judy removed the BD wreath from V's head, pausing for a moment in thought. She stared down at the wreath in her hand, then slowly handed it to V. "Keep it. I'll put it on Ev's tab."_ _

__V looked up at Judy then down at the wreath as she grabbed it. "Portable device for handling BDs. I've already uploaded your calibration settings" Judy said with a straight face towards V. "Not as sophisticated as what we got here, but should do the trick." Judy shrugged her shoulders slightly._ _

__"And it keeps you outta harms way. Clever." V responded to Judy, impressed. Judy nodded, then glanced at Evelyn. "Speakin' of harms way… Know what I see lookin' at you? Walking…" Judy turned her head towards V, looking at her with a scowl, "...talking corpses." **Woah. Little dark, princess.** Judy's eyebrows scrunched together, her frown once fueled by anger morphed into one fueled by worry and fear. _ _

__"Relax - I've got everything under control," V said in an attempt to soothe the techie. Judy immediately placed her hands on her hips, flashing V an angry look, "If you fuck up and they come knockin' on MY door--" "Judy... Relax. That's not gonna happen" Evelyn barked._ _

__Judy spun towards Evelyn, "Evelyn, please… no shortcuts. You go that route, city'll always win. So be careful." Evelyn scoffed, folding her arms together, "'Course I will be." Judy looked at both V and Evelyn and shook her head, walking away to sit down and edit the BD she was working on before she was interrupted._ _

__Evelyn motioned for V to get up and follow her out of the room. V slid out of the chair and began to walk towards Evelyn before pausing for a moment. **I shouldn't… leave without saying something to Judy. Think I pissed her off.** V turned around, backtracking towards the techie. Judy was about to place her editing wreath on her head before she saw V approaching. _ _

__She slowly lowered to the wreath, looking up towards the mercenary. V gave her a gentle smile, "Well… Don't worry. I promise I won't do anything to get you into trouble. But, uh… I hope to see you again?" V tilted her head slightly to the side, giving an innocent look toward the braindance editor._ _

__Judy looked away momentarily, then back at V with a small smile, "Hmm. Depends." V suddenly raised an eyebrow, "Depends…? Depends on what?" Judy's smile grew a bit more as she looked downwards, kicking her foot against the heel of the other, "On whether you come alone, or with a tag-along..." she looked up at V, wiggling her eyebrows with a mocking tone, "... like a netrunner." V chuckled and waved her hands in front of Judy, "No 'runners. I promise." Judy rolled her eyes and laughed, returning to her editing. "Well, see ya, Judy." V said, turning back around, heading towards Evelyn._ _

__"Let's take a walk," Evelyn said to V. They exited Judy's studio and headed towards the exit. Before opening the door, Evelyn stepped in front of V and turned around, blocking the merc's exit, "Well, what do you think?" V looked down at the ground to gather her thoughts, "Intel on Yorinobu, the chip, the BD from Konpeki… Winds are right. Plan's perfect. A job like this comes one in a million."_ _

__She looked up to see Evelyn cocking up an eyebrow, "Hmmm... Thanks," The blue-haired woman waved her hand towards V, "Now the punch line, please." "Just sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?" V asked eyes narrowed with disdain at Evelyn. "What, cold feet? Are you lookin' to get out of it?" Evelyn smirked, shifting her weight on her heels. V responded sharply, "I wanna know if you're really in control here. That you're not sending me into the sorta shit that I can't wade out of."_ _

__Evelyn held up her hands, "V. I have ZERO reasons to haze you. We're in this together, really. Trust me that I got this." Evelyn folded her arms, looking at V for an agreement of trust. V sighed, rolling her eyes, "So… Now what?"_ _

__"V…" Evelyn paced back and forth a few times in front of the exit. "Do this job for me. I mean me alone. No splitting the payout with anyone else. No middlemen… No Dex." Evelyn quickly placed her hands on her hips, impatient for V's response._ _

__**What the hell?! She _seriously_ wants to get me flatlined.** V blinked rapidly, attempting to understand what was asked. "You wanna fuck over our fixer? I _KNEW_ something was up." V shook her head, sarcastically laughing while looking up at the ceiling. _ _

__"Dex is a middle man, and a useless one at this point!" Evelyn moved closer towards V with an intense glare. "Evelyn, you don't mess with fixers. That's the _ONE_ rule every merc in this city knows - and actually follows." V looked down toward Evelyn and matched the intense look. "But if we're smart--" Evelyn began to say. _ _

__"No. Doesn't matter. Mistake like that'll cost you your rep, and without a rep, you're nobody," V scolded, "You sure you wanna do that?" "Better ask yourself that question. Do you want to spend the rest of your days blasting scavs…" Evelyn stepped away from the door allowing the mercenary passage to leave, "or do you want to become a legend overnight?... Your choice."_ _

__V paused for a moment and then dropped her head alongside a sigh, placing her hand on her hip, "Okay… Okay. Look, if I agree, there'll be hell to pay. For sure." Evelyn smiled softly, "I know. Whatever you decide, it stays between us." Evelyn held up her palm towards V, "I can offer you fifty percent. Eddies enough to do with whatever the hell you'd like."_ _

__The merc immediately responded with concern in her voice, "I'd be finished. Dex won't forgive a dirt move like this." "Dex isn't the only fixer in this city…" Evelyn stated matter-of-factly, "...but, my offer's the only one you'll ever get." V sighed and scratched the back of her head, "Huh… Lemme… Lemme think about it."_ _

__"Mhm. If you need me, call. Here's my number" both of their eyes glowed blue as Evelyn connected to V's holo, sharing her contact information. As their eyes returned to their normal colors, Evelyn nodded toward V, "Okay. Good luck… Now go. I need to have a few words with Judy."_ _

__The mercenary walked past the blue-haired woman, through the exit, which led back to the Moxes dressing room. She heard the door lock shut behind her as her eyes suddenly flashed blue. Her holo was ringing. **Of course. This guy _ALWAYS_ has perfect timing. He spyin’ on me or somethin’? Like no, for real. How does he always know _immediately_ after I finish somethin’!?** She answered the call, seeing Dexter DeShawn's portrait flash across her optics.__

> __Dex: How're things lookin' Miss V?  
>  V: Turned out that Evelyn's recording from Konpeki was definitely worth our time.  
>  Dex: Beautiful. T-Bug just called, said she's workin' her magic.  
>  V: Well, we're all set. Ready to roll.  
>  Dex: Get ready Miss V. Now we move forward with the job I originally hired you to do - grabbin' that biochip. We'll talk about the rest tomorrow at the Afterlife. See you there.  
>  V: Great. See you then._ _

__She let out a long sigh, shaking her head._ **Oy. This has been the most fucked day, with the most fucked jobs, with the most fucked people... I need a fricken' drink.** _  


__She made her way through the dressing room, backtracking down the hallways Evelyn had previously led her through before. She approached a double sliding door that opened back into the club._ _

__As she walked in, she noticed that there were a lot fewer club-goers partying - only a handful of dancers remained and a few stragglers sat on couches wearing BD players. The music had grown quieter and the laser lights were no longer bouncing around. V glanced up toward the DJ booth, but the DJ was not to be seen. Hallie Coggins' _I Really Want to Stay at Your House_ beat softly through the club as the mercenary made her way toward the bar. Mateo was still there, cleaning the counter with his white hand towel._ _

__"Hey" V said to Mateo as she sat down on the same stool she was on before. Mateo smiled as he looked over at her. "Successful meeting?" he asked, grabbing a clean glass from under the counter. "Heh… I guess you could say that… Wanna pour me my drink?" V asked, smiling weakly._ _

__Mateo gave V a quick nod and turned around, grabbing the same brown bottle that housed V's favorite tequila. "Centzon'' Mateo said, as he poured the clear liquid into V's glass. Once he finished pouring, V grabbed the glass and toasted it in the air towards Mateo's direction, "to Centzon''._ _

__She knocked back the entire drink and placed the glass back down on the counter, "Mateo... How well do you know Evelyn?" He shrugged slightly, "Y'know… In passing." V rolled her eyes, "Please. You know I ain't buyin' that." Mateo narrowed his eyes at the merc. "She come here often - Evelyn?" V inquired._ _

__"She didn't tell you?" Mateo asked, raising up his hand, shrugging his shoulder. "Didn't come up," V responded. Mateo shrugged again, "She comes 'round sometimes." He looked down and began wiping down the counter again. "To see Judy?" V inquired again._ _

__He paused, then continued wiping down the counter, "Maybe." "Are they close?" V asked, leaning closer towards Mateo. "Y'know. It's been nice to chat, but I gotta get back to work" Mateo quipped. V rolled her eyes, "All right, all right. Thanks for the chat."_ _

__She scooted her empty glass towards the bartender, "Hit me again, please". Mateo chuckled and poured V another glass of her favorite tequila. As she watched him pour, her spine shot up painful electric waves as a familiar ache struck the back of her head._ _

__She quickly winced and placed a hand on her head - she was still feeling the shockwaves of getting flatlined in her BD. Her stomach flipped at the thought as she lowered her hand down to grab her glass, hoping to drown out the sensation and the memory._ _

__The merc wasn't sure how long she was at the bar or how many glasses of tequila she had. Her eyes flashed orange as she checked what time it was - [3:25AM]. **Shit, it's late.** V sat up straight and pulled her arms back, giving in to a long and deep stretch. She let out a long satisfied sigh as a few knots in her back popped, releasing some of her tension. **Can't believe Evelyn asked me to screw over Dex. Total career suicide. But... then again, Evelyn seems to have friends in very high places. Hell, Dex only recently came back after embarrassing himself with the Pacifica scandal. Heh, maybe it’s career suicide to be workin’ for Dex.**_ _

__V ended her stretch and returned to her glass with a frown. **Maybe I should talk to Jackie 'bout this. Get his opinion. We're a team - Wherever he goes, I go.** V continued her debate internally, losing herself in thought. She didn't notice that someone had sat down beside her as she continued to argue with herself in her head._ _

__"Hey Mateo. _La Perle Des Alpes_ , please." Mateo nodded and walked away towards a cooler beneath the bar counter. He pulled out a dark purple bottle that had frost around the rim and headed back towards V's direction. "Hey, V? You doin' alright?" a familiar voice asked. _ _

__V immediately snapped out of her daze and looked up towards Mateo and then to her left. "Oh. H-Hi Judy" V said, taken by surprise. "When did you sit down? I didn't even notice." Judy chuckled at V as she watched Mateo pop off the top of her drink, sliding it across the counter to her._ _

__" _Gracias_ " Judy said as she lifted the bottle in the air, tipping it toward Mateo who nodded and walked away to restock the liquor shelves. Judy took a swig from the bottle before placing it down, "Not long. I was heading out for the night and saw you sitting over here… by yourself... Kinda pathetic really…" Judy gave V a teasing smile._ _

__V smirked and grabbed her tequila glass, sipping a small amount, "Well, ya know... Getting flatlined twice and returning to life twice in one night - not many can brag about such things. Earns ya _mad cred_. People were buyin' me drinks left and right once word got out. ' _V, the unflatlineable Merc_ '. You must have juuuust missed them all, cooped up snug-as-a-bug in your little basement."_ _

__Judy gave a soft smile towards V and looked down at her bottle, spinning its edge on the counter. "Yeah… about that… I think I owe you an apology. Maybe a flatliner BD wasn't the best thing to start you off with. Y'know, most mercs we've worked with act like cocky, booster-addicted gonks with their heads up their asses. Think they're untouchable. Gotta knock 'em off their high horses in order to even work with them…"_ _

__Judy trailed off as the mercenary sternly looked at her, "I'm not like most mercs." V looked back at her tequila and took another sip. "Heh, guess we'll see about that'' Judy laughed into her glass as she finished off her drink. V looked over as Judy swallowed the last bit, "Can I, uhm... Buy you another round...?"_ _

__Judy blinked a few times and chuckled. "Well, I _work here_ , so my drinks are free… But since you offered... _Sure_ , I guess you can buy me a drink." V scrunched her eyebrows and then laughed, waving at Mateo. "Can we get another bottle of whatever she's drinkin'?" Mateo nodded and grabbed a new bottle for Judy._ _

###### 

__The two chatted for a while at the bar, sharing stories. V talked about Jackie, how they became a merc duo, and about some of the most outrageous contracts they'd ever taken._ _

__Judy laughed a lot, especially when she heard the story of how the two mercs met: Jackie pressing a gun against V's temple in an attempt to steal the vehicle that V was in the middle of stealing from someone else, then both having to forfeit the vehicle to the NCPD who kicked the shit outta them, then they had lunch together, and then _they became best friends_ all in the same day. _ _

__Judy shared stories about the craziest smut BDs she's had to edit, like a woman who was in love with a talking vending machine. Neither realized that they were the only two left in the club as the minutes flew by. Their conversation flowed from stories to music tastes, then to tech and electronics, something they were both passionate about. Judy was in the middle of telling V a story about a firetruck she was fixing up when she was younger before they were interrupted._ _

__Mateo had to tap on the counter to get their attention, "Sorry ladies but it's time to close up." "Close up?... Wait, what time is it?" V asked. "Almost 6." "Holy shit!" Judy gasped, raising her hand over her mouth. She jumped out of her seat and beckoned V to follow._ _

__V's eyes flashed blue while she looked at Mateo, closing and paying her tab while tossing in a nice tip thanks to the eddies she had swiped earlier from Militech. Mateo nodded in appreciation when the transaction wrapped up and waved the two off. V spun her barstool around and hopped off, following after Judy. The purple-haired Mox at the front counter was still there and curiously watched the two as they walked out towards the entrance of Lizzie's._ _

__"Whelp. This was fun, but I gotta go crash… Got a _biiiiig_ meetin' tomorrow and I need to be on my A-game." V flashed a cocky smile at Judy, who rolled her eyes. "Here... '' Judy said as her eyes flashed a bright blue towards the merc. V raised a confused eyebrow as her own eyes began to glow blue: an image of a laughing ghost coming out of a clamshell appeared in her optics. _ _

__"My contact info. Y'know. In case you need help with BDs or wanna talk more tech" Judy said, smiling. V smiled back and flicked her own contact information over to Judy, "And here's my contact info… Y'know. In case you need a merc to come do… merc-like-things for you?" Judy laughed as both of their eyes dimmed down to their normal colors, V's a bold dark brown, Judy's a soft hazel._ _

__"Well, my van's in the back, so… guess I'll seeya" Judy said while taking a few steps backward. "Till next time'' V said, turning around to head out the front door. "V…" the dark-haired merc froze and looked over her shoulder as the entrance doors slid open, "Hmm?" "Be careful, ya?" Judy asked, looking at the merc with worried eyes._ _

__"I promise," V said warmly while flashing back a peace sign to the techie before stepping outside._ _


	2. Chapter One: "The Information" (Judy's Perspective)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: So, this chapter actually took me a little over a week to write. I did NOT bust out two giant chapters in one day, though it'll look like I did. I had the first chapter up on FanFiction before I migrated over here! :D 
> 
> [Current Plans]: I'll be adding more original scenes in future chapters. Things that'll occur between missions like text message convos, holocalls, etc., which'll continue to build the relationship between V and Judy in a more realistic way. 
> 
> I don't know if this bothered anyone else, but something I noticed between Judy and Panam was if you play as Male V, you have the ability to flirt with Panam during EVERY FLIPPIN' mission -- You don't get any of that with Judy until Pyramid Song (I get it. She went through some shit, but... like, c'mon. It was like whiplash - couldn't flirt, couldn't even console her or hold her.... and then suddenly WHAM. Pyramind Song. Hell, I didn't think Judy even liked V until JOHNNY said something in her apartment.)
> 
> .... Okay, I'm ranting. My bad - I'm not passionte about this at all - I don't know what you're talking about.
> 
> Anywhozer - I hope you enjoy this chapter 1.J! ...For Judy! ... get it?

# Chapter 1: "The Information" (Judy's Perspective)

Real feels - One of Night City's most talented editors was struggling to achieve the thing that came so naturally to her; capturing real, raw, authentic feelings. Even though the actors and actresses in her braindances were supplying enough true emotion that it could overwhelm any cyberpsycho, Judy struggled to tune into those impulses - something she had been struggling with for quite a while now.

Judy had been watching the couple in her BD for about 5 hours straight – just enough material for her to splice into a one-hour playback. A client from Lizzie's had requested this very particular braindance; _two chicks who've been friends that wanna be more than friends, passionately bang each other for the first time._

The client had written down a list of a few simple things she wanted to feel and see in her customized braindance. Judy read each item, line by line;

> _\- Intense infatuation with a sprinkle of uncertainty - cuz the women are unsure if the other one has the same feelings_  
>    
>  _\- Capture a moment that pushes both of them to finally cross that line from friends to more than friends (you guys can have creative freedom with this)_  
>    
>  _\- Extra emphasis on the burst of ecstasy they'll feel once they've finally given into their desires. Wanna also feel a wave of relief as they give each other permission to cross said line_  
>    
>  _\- LUST, LUST, and more LUST as they SLOWLY explore each other's bodies for the first time. Seriously - like a lot of lust and then add more lust to that_  
>    
>  _\- Wanna feel both chicks orgasms (I'm paying a lot of eddies for multiple orgasms. Will tip for more)_  
>    
>  _\- Finally, and most important - I want to feel what they're not ready to say, but have for each other; love  
>  _

As Judy read the last word on the client's list, her stomach churned; it made her want to puke. Night City's most brilliant braindance technician had been wrestling with this BD for almost two weeks. Usually, Judy could check off each item on this client's list during a single work shift at Lizzie's. Capturing those old school emotions was Judy's specialty, but lately, she struggled to tap into those types of experiences. Clients had started to notice, and so had Susie, her boss.

Normally, Susie didn't give Judy the time of day, but as Judy's braindance quality had begun to slip, Susie was up Judy's ass more and more every day. Braindance requests were backed up and when Judy could finally call one 'complete', they didn't meet the personal quality standards she set for her braindances. Her inability to fully capture those emotions made her recent BD's feel borderline fake. Pre-crafted, hard-coded, and fenced in. Something she absolutely loathes about mass-market braindances.

Judy sighed, pausing the smut footage and shut down her editor wreath. As the dancing sapphire color in her irises faded back to hazel, she pulled the wreath off of her head and placed it on her desk – she needed a break. Her computer screen said it was almost 6:00PM - the time Lizzie's Bar opened.

Judy usually came into work before the nightclub opened its doors, taking advantage of the peace and quiet. When the bar was open, the loud music would shake the walls of her braindance studio, making it difficult to hear BD audio clearly. Some of the girls would go downstairs and tell Judy about strange client requests and ask the techie for her opinion on scrolling their scenes and which emotions they should feel. Susie would interrupt her by dropping off stacks of requests or bugging her to see when her current stack of braindances would be finished.

She rummaged through the desk drawers, pulling out a pair of soundproof headphones. Music sometimes helped her when she got stuck on a creative block or when she wanted her racing mind to slow down. She popped a shard into one of the slots behind her ear. Her eyes illuminated a soft orange as she flicked them side to side, scrolling through a list of music files she had stored on the chip. After a few minutes, she made her selection: Perilous Futur – _Dirty Roses_. Her favorite electropunk band.

The techie felt like her emotional responses were stuck - trapped somewhere so far that no matter how deep she swam to grab them, they were just outside of her reach. She could still churn out raunchy BDs, like fetish play, BDSM, water sports, anything with unleashing pent-up anger –- you know, the usual demands that Night City clientele make. However, the braindances that required old school feelings, those were next to impossible to achieve, and these troubles all started appearing about a year ago when Judy broke up with her output – Maiko Maeda.

###### 

Almost a year ago Maiko Maeda, an associate of the Tyger Claws and current unofficial manager of Clouds, was Judy's entire world.

At the time, Judy's braindances had quickly begun turning heads – her innovative capabilities and high-quality standards spread like wildfire. This led to the Tyger Claws hiring her to tune BDs at Clouds. When Judy walked in and caught a glimpse of Maiko at that Japantown nightclub, it was real feels at first sight. Something about Maiko's desire to break free from the chains of being a doll allured Judy's anarchist spirit and the two quickly became inseparable.

Judy had always wanted a committed relationship but there weren't many people in Night City who shared those same desires. This led to Judy becoming very picky about the girls she had allowed herself to fall for until she met Maiko.

Not soon after, Maiko moved into Judy's Watson based apartment on Charter Street. Even though they lived and worked at the same places, they couldn't get enough of each other. The two frequently snuck around, hoping to steal a few extra seconds of time with the other. Any moment not near each other was almost unbearable. Then, not too long after that, they began charting out their future. They had big plans and even bigger dreams.

Judy, an older soul in a younger body, had always wanted to leave the thrills of Night City and settle down. She didn't grow up in the bustling metropolis that was overrun by crime, corruption, and corporations, and her only family had moved to Oregon.

But before Judy could leave Night City, she wanted to make an impact – she wanted to help dolls, joy toys, and others down on their luck. She wanted to free them from the city that took advantage of them. The city that would use them up and then toss them into the gratitude of poverty.

Maiko had originally shared those dreams with Judy, for a time. She had promised Judy that if she climbed up the ranks at Clouds, she would be able to provide a home for dolls and joy toys where they would be happier, safer, and treated with respect. Like a Lizzie's 2.0. However, Night City did what it does best; draws people in with the promise of fame, power, glory, and then changes them for the worst. A seed in Maiko's heart had started to grow – a seed that Night City had placed in her.

She began to obsess over reading self-improvement books like beauty tips, weight loss, and how to be successful. She started purchasing very expensive makeup and clothing brands – the type that would get you targeted and mugged on the street. She began to only care about herself and her goals as her sympathy for others quickly diminished.

Catalogs about elegant corpo interior design and fashion magazines for those with "finer tastes" began to appear in Judy's apartment. While studying the fashion tips, Maiko would frequently make snarky comments about Judy's apartment – the building was 'substandard' and the apartment was 'mediocre in size'. Things weren't much better at work either. Maiko started asking Judy for 'favors' that would give the doll advantages at Clouds, like modifying her behavior chip so her client stats would dramatically improve. Judy complied.

Tyger Claws couldn't help but notice Maiko's achievements and she began climbing up the ranks at the nightclub. She was given her own private office and instructed to keep a close eye on Woodman, Cloud's manager at the time. As she climbed ranks, nothing got better for the other dolls - in fact, their treatment only got worse.

Maiko's desire to continue down the path of gaining power and building up reputation estranged her from Judy – the woman that had supported and encouraged her since the beginning. Judy felt Maiko slipping away and watched as her output gained several female friends, ones that pawned for the Tyger Claws' up and coming star's attention.

When confronted, Maiko had a tendency to ignore Judy's allegations by not entertaining a response, frequently change topics, and manipulate Judy's perception of events. She was good at making Judy feel like things were her fault. Manipulation was a skill that Maiko had become very comfortable using – a skill she exercised frequently in order to ensure her own success.

This sparked jealousy and anger in Judy she had never felt before. Not long after, Judy found herself spending time with the Moxes, a group who shared similar desires to liberate those who had been used up, cast away, and forgotten – those like Judy.

One fateful evening, Judy received a message from Maiko – higher ranking Tyger Claw's had assigned Maiko a sensitive and urgent project which meant she would need to stay overnight at Clouds. This was not the first time this happened to Maiko and it seemed to happen more and more frequently.

As a final attempt to hold onto the woman she built a life around, Judy planned to surprise her output after work by bringing Maiko her favorite champagne – a very expensive brand that the doll had acquired a recent taste for. Judy had scraped together enough eddies to get her hands on a bottle. She was hopeful the gesture would lead to something more – something she hadn't shared with Maiko in quite some time; affirmation and sex. Judy's body ached for Maiko's.

The techie had frequently snuck into Maiko's office earlier in their relationship. It was something they both highly enjoyed because it was risky and borderline inappropriate. As she climbed her way onto the office's balcony, she reminisced about an old desk – it was a piece of furniture within the office that the two had frequently used and abused until it collapsed under their weight one evening. The desk was then replaced with a much larger and much more expensive one. One that Maiko wanted to keep in pristine condition. One they would no longer use together.

Judy followed the same routine – hack into the balcony door control panel to unlock the door and shut off the security alarms just long enough to slip in before the alarms automatically turned back on. If the security system lost power for more than 10 seconds, a silent alarm would trip and Tyger Claws would swarm the club within minutes.

The latch to the balcony door popped open. The alarms disabled for a few seconds, and Judy slipped in.

_"I used to mark time in stages. One juncture to the next. There was the mega building hole-in-the-wall phase, and then the group home phase, the Mox phase… Every time, I thought I'd found a home. And every damn time, I came away disappointed."_

What she stumbled into would quickly become another phase in her life that had ended with disappointment.

###### 

Real feels — one of night city's most talented editors was struggling. Judy was glad that Maiko was gone for good, but the damage she did was done. The scar that formed over her wounds would not allow Judy to connect to those emotions the same way again. The braindance artist's incredible ability to bring love to life in her BDs was gone.

Silence. Dirty Roses ended but she barely noticed. She was seething at old anger. Anger she could do. Anger she was good at.

"If I can't even make two minutes of real feels for some girl to get off, what hope do I have?"

_**BEEP-BEEP**_

A much-needed interruption to pull Judy away from her problems. Her phone chimed with a message that was flicked to her optics: [Evie] Popped into view. **Ev? Geeeez. Haven't caught up with her in a while - been what? Few months?**

> [Evie]: Alvarez! Heeeey, it's been like a thousand years since we saw each other!  
>  What's up with you, gurl? You still cooped up in Susie's basement?  
>  Still with Maiko? Hoping at least one of those things isn't true anymore.  
>    
>  [Judy]: Hey Ev - been a bit. Yes, one of those things isn't true anymore. How you doing?  
>    
>  [Evie]: Weeelllllll, I've got a tiny favor to ask…  
>  OK, it's more like a humongous favor.  
>  Super important to me, but should be a breeze for a geek like you. :P  
>    
>  [Judy]: Mind straight up just telling me what's going on?  
>    
>  [Evie]: I need you to scroll a virtu for me. That's it, I promise.  
>  In exchange, I'll make sure you don't have to do anything for the rest of your life but art.  
>  Let's just meet, OK? Where can I find you these days?  
>    
>  [Judy]: Susie's basement.  
>    
>  [Evie]: Good! That's what I was hoping ;)  
>  Was already on my way over - I'll see you in a few!

Evelyn Parker - An old friend and colleague of hers from Clouds. As they had worked together, Judy and Evelyn's friendship grew into a sisterhood of sorts. When Judy felt down about Maiko, Evelyn was the only one who seemed to genuinely care and quickly offered a pair of understanding ears and a firm shoulder to lean on. Judy looked up to Evelyn as a younger sister would toward an older sister.

She was previously a member of the Moxes. A younger Evelyn joined the group shortly after they had become established in 2067, after Elizabeth "Lizzie" Borden's death and not soon after the waves of rioting settled down.

The Moxes had established their name from the term "Moxie" which signifies the ability to face difficulties with spirit, nerve, determination, and courage. The gang stood defiantly against oppression, taking matters into their own hands while always watching out after their own. This was an ideology that Evelyn embraced as she herself was especially ambitious and also harbored a fierce determination to achieve goals she set high above the horizon.

But like all things in Night City, Evelyn was seduced by the idea of fame, glory, and success. She was an inspiring artist who dreamt of becoming a professional actress. This led to her departure from the gang to join Clouds, a decision that would not bode well for her future. Though her plans were to save enough eddies to quit the nightclub and help jumpstart her dreams, Clouds would quickly become a permanent part of her life that she would never seem to shake.

Evelyn had joined Clouds before Judy and also left Clouds before Judy - Her humor, charm, and cunning helped her to become one of the highest performing dolls at the nightclub. She had a waiting list of clients that spanned out for months. This natural ability to be successful led to a rivalry between her and Maiko. However, Evelyn's drive and determination were acted on in a way opposite to Maiko - Evelyn did not harm others in order to achieve her goals.

Her clientele matured from streetmeat and gangoons to glitter folk and elite officials of corporations. She soon found herself narrowing her list of frequenters as she was sought out for lengthy private visits that could span over days, weeks, and even months. She ended up leaving Clouds as the nightclub no longer served her any benefit. This was also around the time that Judy's relationship with Maiko was nearing its conclusion.

Though Evelyn was always in high demand from her suitors, she always set time aside to reach out to Judy. Their indelible friendship led to Evelyn persuading her friend to join the Mox gang in an attempt to distance Maiko from Judy. The aspiring actress had never been fond of the pairing and was always concerned about how poorly the braindance technician was being treated. Then Evelyn inevitably lent a hand in Judy's transition from Clouds to Lizzie's.

###### 

**A braindance? I wonder what this is all about. Maybe one of Evie's clients has a special request? What'd she mean I wouldn't need to do anything for the rest of my life but art?** Seldom did Evelyn ever ask Judy for help. That woman had so many connections within her network that there was no problem or obstacle that couldn't get resolved without a simple holo call.

Judy looked over at her braindance wreath that sat on her desk, mocking her. She reached over and clicked its BD shard, pulling it out and setting it to the side for her to continue editing later.

_**BEEP-BEEP**_

Another message. **Wow. Ev already here?** When Judy checked the message, she saw that it was not from Evelyn. Instead, a message from [}O{] blipped up.

}O{ is a Mox member.

She likes the color purple. She has purple hair, installed purple optics, wears purple makeup, and her wardrobe is exclusively purple; give or take a few articles of clothing that are not purple, but pair well with purple. Some Mox members are surprised that she hadn't opted for a full-body sculpt to install purple plastic skin - But she does have a purple handgun and her vehicle was painted an artist-commissioned, custom shade of 'the purplest-purple', so there's that.

She was the hostess at Lizzie's Bar. She was often requested as one of Judy's BD actors, but she mainly worked behind the front counter, helping clients navigate the catalog, and sold Mox merch.

When she joined the Mox a year ago, around the same time as Judy, she introduced herself to customers and fellow Moxers as, 'Candy'. "Like the ones you wanna lick, honey."

Then she started introducing herself as 'CanDe'. "I CAN satisfy any and all your DEsires, sugartits."

And then she created an acronym of her favorite things, 'CANDI'. " **C** lits, **A** sses, **N** ips, **D** icks, and, of course, myself," she said when people couldn't figure out the **I**.

Currently, it's 'Candie with an I E'. "Cuz I luv Eddieeeees"

Apparently, she's working on 'Candeigh' now. Judy's hopes aren't high that this one's gonna last.

No one knew how she really spelled her name, or if it was really her name. Judy couldn't keep up with the constant switching, so instead, she saved }O{ , a candy emoji she made, as the Mox member's alias.

> [}O{]: heeeeeeyyyy  
>  hellloooo?  
>  yyyoo juuuuuudddiieee  
>  answr meeee  
>  ….  
>  ….  
>  Gurl dont make me cum downstairs 4 u  
>  I no ur down there - ur van is outside  
>  HEY JUDE  
>  NA, NA, NA, NA-NA-NA, NAAAAA  
>  NA-NA-NA, NAAAA  
>  HEY JUDEEEEEE  
>    
>  [Judy]: OMG. WHAT.  
>  ...That song is an ancient relic.  
>  Stop blowing up my phone.  
>    
>  [}O{]: wus up?  
>    
>  [Judy]: braindances  
>    
>  [}O{]: kewl, kewl, kewl...  
>  so listen  
>  clubs gunna busy 2nite - bunch of ppl outside waitin to get past Rita  
>    
>  [Judy]: Enlighten me…This is different than every night...how?  
>    
>  [}O{]: saw some preem lookn candidates  
>  not 2 many but som ur type  
>    
>  [Judy]: My "type?" I don't have a type.  
>    
>  [}O{]: hahahahaha... ok  
>    
>  [Judy]: Why are you laughing? I DON'T  
>    
>  [}O{]: ya - n my fav colors blu  
>  NE way  
>  try 2 cum upstairs 2nite - lyk on ur break  
>  see if u can catch NE fish n this ocean  
>  cuz ur ocean needs sum mooootion  
>  ha get it?  
>  ….  
>  judy?  
>  helllooo?  
>  ….  
>  stp ignoring me  
>  Dont make me sing again  
>  Cuz i will  
>  Remember last time  
>  literally see u on security cam sittin there doing nothing  
>  HEY DONT FLIP ME OFF GONK :P  
>    
>  [Judy]: If I come upstairs later, for the love of god promise me you won't sing. Still need therapy from the last time.  
>    
>  [}O{]: yiiiiiiiiisssssssss promise  
>  oh forgot sum1 just came n lookn for u  
>  blue haired chicka  
>  said u knew she was comin  
>  got to go Rita lettin ppl n now  
>    
>  [Judy]: Blue hair? I don't know anyone with blue hair.  
>  Er I mean, yes, I know people with blue hair. Half the city has blue hair.  
>  … But I don't know about any meeting with someone with blue hair.  
>    
>  [}O{]: N MY SINGIN AINT THAT BAD

"Hey Judez" a voice from behind Judy startled her. "Evie! ... Almost gave me a heart attack."

Judy turned around and saw Evelyn, but not the woman she knew from Clouds. The person that Judy remembered had long white hair that was usually pulled back in a ponytail, long acrylic french tipped nails, thick black eyeliner paired with black lipstick, and she wore two-toned businesswear - specifically large triangular-shaped sunglasses with golden rims, black button-down tops that showed the top of her breasts, frosty silk business skirts that ended halfway up her thigh, and golden stilettos that shimmered when she walked.

At the time, many of her clients requested and preferred her to dress like a corpo and when Evelyn needed to put on a new face, she made sure that it was down to the details.

Evelyn now had electric blue hair that was cut to chin level with bangs that ended halfway down her forehead. She wore her eyeliner the same, but her bold black lipstick had faded into a natural beige. She wore a thin golden necklace which delicately rested upon her collarbone, sparkling under the right lighting.

She wore a long, black synthleather coat that hung open. The stitched-in elastic band around the midsection kept it held close against her waist, showing off her curves. The coat's collar burst out into a beautiful, large, white, and purple mane. The sleeves ended right below her elbows, guiding gazes down to her soft hands. Her nails were no longer long, manicured french tips. They were now brilliant gold plated rippers that danced with the smallest movement of her fingers.

Underneath the coat was a white skin tight dress that ended barely below her pelvis. Much like her old button-down tops, its collar was cut low enough to show off as much breast as possible. The dress looked like it was made out of diamond slivers, and judging by the quality of material all of her clothes were made out of, they probably were diamonds. The dress glistened brightly under light, stopping anyone in their tracks to catch a glimpse.

Blood red thigh-high stiletto boots hugged Evelyn's legs so perfectly, you would think they were painted on. The workmanship took to ensure the perfect fit was second to none.

Style meant everything in Night City, and Evelyn Parker; She looked like a fuckin' movie star.

Judy jumped out of her chair and embraced Evelyn. They had a bond - one where if they haven't seen or spoken to the other in ages, they could easily pick right back up where they had left off. Like the universe made a special pause and play button for them to use so they would never lose time.

"It's so good to see you. How've you been Judes?" Evelyn asked, taking a step back to see her friend. Judy responded with a half-hearted shrug, "Uh, you know. Still tunin' smut every day so... Can't complain."

Evelyn crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow at the techie. "You're looking… a bit pale. A little thin too. How often do you leave this basement? It doesn't look like you've been outside in… a while? Have you been diving at all?" Judy rolled her eyes, "No. Been too busy for that."

"And what about your bots? Have you been working on those?" Evelyn asked, a tone of concern slipping through. Judy placed her hands on her lower back and slowly leaned left and right, stretching her core muscles, "Nooope. Just been too busy Ev. BDs been stackin' up. Gotta bust 'em out. You know how it is for us, workin' girls. But it's all good. I'm fine."

Evelyn continued to look at her friend, then she slowly shook her head. "Mhmm… Well, for someone who has to give up all their hobbies because they're 'too busy'... I'm really, really glad you answered - I need your help." Judy returned a small nod, "What's so urgent about this BD? What did you mean in your message?"

"I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to hear me out," the blue-haired woman said cautiously. Judy was now the one crossing her arms, "Ahuh… Starting to get a liiiittle suspicious Evie… This like… some kind of XBD or somethin'?"

"No. It's much more than that. You'll need to sit down for this."

###### 

"Ev - have you gone _COMPLETELY_ gonk in the head?! This… this will get you killed! It will get ME killed. You're talkin' about fucking over Arasaka. ARA- **FREAKIN’** -SAKA. They'll have you creased before you even get near it. How the hell would you even pull this off!? Walk right in and tell Yorinobu, 'Hand over the Relic, or I'll stop fucking you'? I still don't even understand what the BD has to do with any of this" Judy was frantically pacing back and forth in her studio.

Evelyn followed Judy, trying to get her friend to slow down, "Jude. I wouldn't come to you with this if I thought it would put you in harm's way. I wouldn't come to you if I wasn't prepared. I have a plan - a real REAL good one at that and the balls' already rollin' babe. You're the last piece of the puzzle. BD is of Konpeki Plaza, inside Yorinobu's apartment. He keeps the Relic hidden somewhere in it. There's no security to worry about. Braindance will help us find where he hides it. I've hired a team already - professionals - they'll sneak in under the radar when Yori's gone and steal it. This is a once in the lifetime chance, Judy. And it has to happen soon."

"You've already hired a team?" Judy immediately stopped pacing. She quickly spun around, glaring at the blue-haired woman. Evelyn almost crashed into the techie but was able to stop just in time, "Yes. Got a Fixer. He's sendin' in his best players."

"Who is the fixer?" Judy asked, narrowing her eyes at Evelyn. "Dexter DeShawn."

"Dexter DeShawn… Like, the fixer from the Afterlife? Jesus Ev, how much scratch have you already spilled on this?" the techie's eyebrows raised up, her eyes widened. "Dex took some… personal time off. Hasn't been active in about two years. I'm his first client since he came back to NC - gave me a real good price."

Judy walked over to her desk and collapsed onto her chair, "You know what they say about these kinds of things Ev? _If it sounds too good to be true, then it is._ Somethin' 'bout this gig totally sticks. I mean do you even know his team? They got a plan?"

Evelyn followed, pulling up a chair close to Judy's, "Two mercs and one of the best netrunners in NC. From what he's explained to me - they have Militech equipment that'll help them get past Konpeki's network - it'll disable all their security tech. Merc's will rent a room near Yori's and netrunner will jam the network. All the merc's have to do is walk in, grab the biochip, and walk out. We just need to know where to look."

"This is way so risky Evey... Just pokin' around somethin' like this..." Judy, slowly rubbed her eyebrows, letting out a long sigh.

Evelyn scooted her chair closer, grabbing Judy's hands, "Judy. Please. Everything is already set up. It's a solid plan. All you have to do is compile the BD - they won't be able to trace anything back to you. You'll be safe. These guys are professionals. They can do this - this is all they do. Please."

Judy pulled her hands away, placing them in her lap, "I… I don't know Ev." She began to fidget and rub her hands together nervously.

"Jude... Aren't you tired of editing the same sleazy BDs day in and day out? All the porn? Shit eddies? These piss-poor conditions…" Evelyn slowly gestured her hand around Judy's braindance studio.  
Judy lifted her hand, wagging a finger at Evelyn, "Wooah heeey now... This is my sanctuary. Stop bleedin' it."

Evelyn grabbed Judy's hand again, squeezing it, "Judy. You deserve more than all this. You deserve to work on the BDs you really care about. You deserve to work on your art. Please. Jude. I already have NetWatch waiting - they're ready to buy. You know nothing changes in NC without eddies to back you up. Think about what you could do with those eddies. Do whatever you want, when you want. Imagine the people you could help! The joy toys you could save."

Judy let out a long-drawn-out sigh. There was a moment of silence between them as she wrestled with her thoughts, "... Fine... But under a few conditions." Evelyn yanked back on Judy's hand, pulling the startled techie into a very tight embrace, "Oh god, thank you, Judy! Yes! Yes! Name them. Whatever you want, I'll give you!"

Judy pried herself from Evelyn's arms, falling back into her chair. She brushed herself off and had to straighten the strap to her overalls. "First, I want us to meet someone from this 'professional' team. Abso-fuckin-lutely NOT the 'Runner. I don't trust any of them. Who knows what shit they'd do to this place… Needs to be one of the mercs. We need to vet 'em out - see if they've got the balls and brains to do this gonk-ass shit. If somethin' seems off - and I'm dead serious Evie. If ANYTHING seems off, no movin' forward. Dex gets a better team together, and we vet 'em again. Any small fuck up could lead 'saka to us and that'll be the end."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow towards Judy, "Merc's don't normally ever talk to clients… we go through the Fixer for that." Judy shook her head, "I don't care. We are safer talking directly to the game players instead of a middleman. Figure it out. I know you can."

Evelyn nodded in agreement. "Okay. Deal." Judy held out her hand, holding up two fingers, "Second, whatever eddies you make off of this - ten percent goes to helping the Moxes, joy toys, dolls - all of 'em. I want them taken care of." Evelyn blinked several times, "T-ten… percent? Maybe consider... like eight?"

Judy quickly crossed her arms, "No. ten, or I'm not agreeing. They need this - they need it more than me or you." Evelyn sighed, "Fine. Deal." Judy held out her hand again but with three fingers this time. "Three, absolutely no shortcuts. You go that route, city'll always win. So promise me that you'll be careful."

Evelyn quickly grabbed Judy's hand and pulled her into another tight embrace, startling the techie once more, "Jude. I promise. I promise to be careful. I won't take any shortcuts. I won't allow you to get hurt. Ok?"

Judy, again, pried herself out of her friend's vice-like grip, "Fine… Just…Can't believe I'm doin' this... hand me the damn dance…"

###### 

Judy finished compiling the BD. She checked the time - a little past 11PM.

She had been working on Evelyn's braindance for about three hours. It was a bit rough - still raw, but good enough to work given the short timeframe and persistent interruptions by a certain blue-haired nuisance.

Evelyn incessantly demanded updates, prodded Judy every ten minutes to see how much longer it would take, kept asking if the recording was good enough quality to work despite being told 'yes' several times, and kept asking if the techie wanted anything to eat or drink. Albeit that last interruption seemed like a kind gesture, Judy knew the real motive behind the interruption.

Ultimately the techie ended up barring Evelyn from entering her studio so she could focus. However, closed doors wouldn't stop her ongoing pestering. She sent an unrelenting wave of messages to Judy's holo, continuing to press questions and ask for updates. Eventually, Judy received a message that was of actual use; Evelyn had spoken to Dexter DeShawn and the meeting was set. They would be meeting the mercenary - tonight.

**Ev better stop blowin' up my holo or so help me God...** Judy was spent - she hadn't left the basement in almost 10 hours. Her eyes burnt from staring at monitors and using her braindance wreath for hours on end. She was too tired to message Evelyn back, letting her know the BD was finished. She just needed to close her eyes… let them rest for a moment…

_**BEEP-BEEP**_

Her eyes shot open. The time was now a little past midnight. Judy must have fallen asleep. She rubbed her eyes, removing the sleep that was still burning within them. She checked her phone; [}O{] flicked across her screen.

> [}O{]: yoooooooooo  
>    
>  [Judy]: NO  
>    
>  [}O{]: get this  
>    
>  [Judy]: STILL NO  
>    
>  [}O{]: Ur futur output just came n  
>    
>  [Judy]: Shocking.  
>    
>  [}O{]: She fine AF  
>    
>  [Judy]: You don't say.  
>    
>  [}O{]: gurl  
>  you gotta cum up 2 see her  
>    
>  [Judy]: And why is the 716th girl you've tried to hook me up with worth prying me away from my work?  
>    
>  [}O{]: She took a info shard and is actually reading it!  
>    
>  [Judy]: So?  
>    
>  [}O{]: THAT MEANS SHE CAN RED!  
>  … READ!*  
>    
>  [Judy]: … -_-;;; Busy. BDs don't make themselves.  
>    
>  [}O{]: C'mon we all rele wrry bout u. : ( : ( n I gotta gud feelin bout this 1….  
>    
>  [Judy]: …  
>  Fiiiine. Gimme a sec. I need a drink anyway.

Judy stood up from her seat. Her ass and back ached. **Suze still hasn't gotten me a new chair. How hard is it… Know what? What the fuck ever. Don't even care no more.** She exited through the door of her braindance studio and made her way upstairs to the club to grab a much needed and well-earned drink.

###### 

Judy approached Evelyn who was sitting at the bar, smoking a cigarette. The blue-haired woman greeted her friend with a wide smile, " _Sooooo_? Finished?" Judy flagged down Mateo and asked him to pour her a large and _very strong_ glass of bourbon. "Yes. Er, well - almost. Just needs to be primed in the system - won't take more than a couple minutes. Then we should be good to go… Also, got somethin' loaded up to test this hotshit merc. XBD. Wanna see how far we can push 'em." Mateo finished pouring her drink.

It was very busy at the bar, but Mateo always served the Moxes first, even if other customers had been waiting for almost an hour to place their drink orders. Judy picked up her glass and enjoyed the slow burn of bourbon washing down her throat.

"So... when's this meetin'? Any idea who Dex sent?" Judy asked after downing an impressive amount of her drink. "Merc should be here any minute. 'V' is the name. Dex seems to really like 'em. Said they're very, ' _intelligent, professional, effective, and trustworthy._ '"

Judy almost spit out her drink as she rolled her eyes, "Ha! Believe it when I see it. Mercs are arrogant and all they know is violence. All problems are solved by killin'… No tact. No sympathy for others. But I guess you have to be like that if all you do is murder for a living. Dex probably sent some CHOOH-head."

Evelyn quickly shushed and nudged Judy in the ribcage, almost causing the techie to spill her drink, "Ev, what the fu--" "Shhh. I think I see our merc," Evelyn said while still nudging Judy in the ribs. "Jude, turn around and sneak a peek. Try not to look obvious, m'kay? Don't wanna blow our cover just yet… want to observe them for a bit."

Judy scoffed and rolled her eyes as she turned around, leaning her back against the bar. She slowly scanned her eyes over the crowd, trying to spot someone who looked like a mercenary; someone who didn't look like they would fit in with the crowd. Probably large with a lot of chrome, muscular. Bulky.

She raised her glass up and finished off the remaining liquid that warmed her throat and helped her keep her nerves. **Can't believe we're really doin' this… We're gonna get killed.** Judy placed the glass back on the counter and asked Mateo to pour her another round. She needed more.

"Our merc is headed toward the bar, Jude. You see 'em? Matches Dex's description." Evelyn questioned while nudging Judy on her ribcage again. Judy swatted Evelyn's arm away, "Ow Ev, stop - that hurts. N' no, I don't see him. I don't even know who I'm s'pposed to be lookin' for. What does he look like?" "Half shaved head, left side. Sorta like yours. Dark hair - brown? Black maybe? Little bit of cyberware on the face. About 5'8. Oh, and not him. Her. Merc's a chick." Judy's jaw hung open as she mouthed the word ' _What?_ ' **Merc's a... chick?**

Again, her eyes scanned over the crowd. She tried to identify someone of a similar description walking toward the bar, but there were too many people in the way. "You're looking in the wrong direction, gonk. More to your left," Evelyn whispered harshly. The techie furrowed her eyebrows and shifted her eyes in the correct direction.

Approaching the bar was a young woman. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt, black synthetic leather pants with a pistol affixed to her right thigh, and black sneakers. Her style, curious - simplistic for Night City.

Her head was shaved on the left side. Above her left ear were two arched parallel stripes that exposed her skin, allowing cyberware to show through. The unshaved hair on her right side hung down past her chin, a bit longer than Judy's. It looked smooth and seemed soft, swaying, and bouncing gently with each step taken. Judy thought the woman's hair was completely black, until a bright ray of light from the DJ booth rolled over, revealing black roots that transitioned into rich, dark red toward the tips.

Framing her face were her strong straight eyebrows that expressed an unwavering determination. Above her left eyebrow was a small scar which drew Judy's attention to the woman's eyes. She had intense yet captivating eyes that were surrounded with black eyeliner and winged eyeshadow. Her gaze radiated a fierce, uncompromising intelligence and perception as she examined her surroundings.

Judy's eyes slowly traced down to the woman's nose. Its straight-edged shape was both striking and beautiful. The bridge of her nose and cheeks were peppered by a gentle spray of soft colored freckles that faded into the woman's sun-kissed skin.

Below were her enticing lips. They were refined with thinness. Her top lip wore a delicate cupid's bow while the bottom lip was a little fuller and tender. Judy felt a weakness within her as she stared at those lips for what felt like an eternity. Luckily for Judy, the woman briefly turned away to avoid colliding with a dancer who wasn't paying attention to their surroundings. Though brief, the visual disconnection snapped Judy out of her daze.

With the woman's quick and fluid sidestep, Judy found there was a swagger in the woman's gait. It was not a swagger that was arrogant or aggressive, but one with self-confidence, purpose, and pride. Her movement was almost feline in nature; a poise that expressed dignity and motion that embodied grace.

"Jude?... Judy, frick'n pay attention. You're staring too long. She'll notice us," Evelyn hissed and nudged Judy in the ribs again. Judy snapped her head toward Evelyn, "W-what?" Evelyn arched an eyebrow at Judy, "Okay, I'm ninety-nine percent sure that's our merc. I'll introduce myself - get to know her first. Have a nice chat. If I don't think she can do this job, I won't bring her downstairs n' waste your time. M'kay?" Judy nodded and turned her head again, catching a quick glimpse of the woman sitting down on the barstool next to her. The techie quickly looked away. **Okay no - nonono. This chick can't seriously be our Merc.**

"Hey" she heard the woman say. Judy felt a tingle travel down her spine when she heard the mellifluous voice. There was a slight husk in the tone; it reminded Judy of the warmth she felt in her stomach from the bourbon. **Did she just say 'hey' to me?** "Get you something?" Judy heard the familiar voice. **Ooh, she's talkin' to Mateo.**

"Lookin' for an Evelyn Parker. Know if she's here?" the woman asked. **Shit.** Judy peeked over her shoulder at the counter to see that Mateo had refilled her glass. She picked it up and took a sip. "Who's asking?" Mateo's voice again. "Name's V. Evelyn and I have a… date."

Judy knocked back whatever amber-colored liquor was still remaining. She hastily placed the glass down on the counter, accidentally making a loud _clink_. She froze for a moment before looking at Evelyn. The blue-haired woman gave the techie a small nod, signaling Judy's dismissal. She stepped away from the bar and headed back to her studio.

###### 

It felt like hours had passed. Judy sat in her chair, kicking the back of her heel with boredom. **Whelp, guess Miss merc couldn't ante up n' they're not comin' down. That's the end of that.** Judy let out a small sigh. **Guess I'll finish this damn BD.**

Judy grabbed her braindance player and clicked on the shard that was currently installed - it was the shard she had compiled for Evelyn. She slid it out and placed it down on her desk. She grabbed and installed the other shard of the braindance she had stopped editing earlier in the day. She placed the wreath on her head, pulled on her editor glove, leaned back in her chair, and fired it on.

She rewound the playback to the beginning. The scene was set in a dimly lit living room.

Outside, the rain beat violently against windows while a low rumble of thunder and a gust of wind could be seldomly heard. Lights were not on, but a small amount of light entered in through those large windows which cast a gentle glow over the decor within the space.

There was a large couch in the middle of the room made out of a material that looked soft - not synthleather, but a lush fabric of some type. Draped over one of the armrests was a throw, nicely folded, seemingly untouched. In front of the couch was a coffee table, its size not too large and not too small, and it's color complemented the couch. On it were a couple of magazines; one about Night City fashion trends, the other about luxury cyberware upgrades. In the middle of the table was a holoview that was not turned on.

Under the couch and table was a sleek, large circular area rug with a simplistic vintage pattern. Its fibers too, seemingly untouched as if just cleaned or brand new. Nearby, was a wall with a large recessed holofireplace that too, was not turned on.

Crashing through the door came in two women, both soaked and cold from the storm outside. Judy closely observed the two actresses. She could feel their chill as they shivered, their bodies almost frozen, trying desperately to grab hold of any warmth. Then, a feeling of relief washed over, as the women had escaped into the safety of the living room from the terrorizing thunderstorm. Judy had also picked up a feeling of familiarity the women shared as they had been friends for some time.

One woman with azure-colored hair removed her wet coat and hung it on a nearby wall hook. The other woman with cherry red hair struggled with her coat, as its thin material was sticking to her skin and clothing. As she struggled, the azure haired woman approached from behind - a trickle of timidness emitted from her that Judy had captured in previous run-throughs. The woman hesitated for a moment - uncertainty now radiating powerfully. Again, a sensation Judy had already captured.

Next, courage emerged and diffused over the other two feelings. The woman lifted up her hands and placed them on the cherry-haired woman's upper arms, grabbing the coat to help slide it off. As the cherry-haired woman felt the other woman's hands gently touch her arms, Judy felt the woman startle briefly before exhilaration pulsated in.

The coat was removed and the azure-haired woman began to turn around to hang the coat with hers. Before she could turn around, she felt a hand gently grab her wrist. Again, Judy felt the woman experience a startle and then excitement. Once again, the techie had already captured the feelings that both women had experienced.

The azure-haired woman slowly turned. Her eyes, a chocolate brown in color, met the tender stare of the cherry-haired woman's hazel eyes.

An overwhelming electrical shock struck Judy. She felt it in her chest, traveling across her body, dispersing out through her limbs and extremities. She immediately stopped the reel. The BD editor sensed something had changed in the scene. Something was different. Something felt different.

Judy had replayed and reviewed this same braindance several times over the past two weeks and never picked up on the multiple sensations that had just erupted from both women. These new and unfamiliar impulses were very faint and far away to Judy, but she felt them trying to breakthrough. They were there, trying desperately to be noticed.

###### 

" _Ahem_ ", a loud sound fired off near Judy's ear. She quickly paused her braindance and shut down her wreath. The techie shook her head and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to her dark studio. Black synthleather sneakers were the first thing that came into focus. She blinked a few more times and slowly looked up. V was staring back at her. Judy felt a thump in her chest.

She quickly looked to her right and saw Evelyn staring at her with arms crossed, eyebrow arched. The techie smiled at her friend, " _Heeeey_ , there you are!" **Geez Ev, took ya long enough.** Evelyn still had her eyebrow cocked toward Judy as she gestured a hand toward the mercenary. "This is V. She's here for that BD roll." Evelyn unfolded her arms and gestured towards Judy, "And V… This is Judy - best braindance editor I know."

Warmth flushed into Judy's cheeks. She flashed an embarrassed smile and rolled her eyes, quickly turning away from the two, toward her monitors. She looked upwards at several screens - Almost all were playing or paused on hard-core porn from other braindances she had been working on simultaneously with her troublesome overdue BD.

She felt her cheeks now fill with lava. **Oooohhmyfuckinggod.** Judy quickly batted her hand backwards toward Evelyn, "Ugh, _enough already_. Gonna make me barf." Judy remained faced away, internally panicking, and acted as nonchalant as she could while trying to shut down or change what was playing. Whichever was faster.

As the techie finally cut off the various reels of smut from her many, many monitors, she heard V break the silence. "Sensory sig amps, acoustic and emotive wave monitors…" Judy's eyes grew wide. She slowly turned her head with a large smile forming on her lips. She saw the mercenary studying her braindance equipment. "Huh… top-shelf hardware."

Judy continued to watch V who had now moved onto studying other pieces of equipment. Some braindance related, some not. The warmth in her cheeks faded. Now she began to feel the warmth emerge from her chest.

V's attention now shifted towards Judy. Their eyes locked for a moment before Judy quickly snapped her eyes away, "Well, most of it's customized. Only things factory here are the casings," She gestured to some of the casings near her desk. "Mod all this yourself?" Judy arched an eyebrow and turned back to look at V, "What do you think?" a playful tone in her question.

The mercenary stepped closer to the techie, checking out monitors, various sensors, and wiring on her desk. "Expression translator… Futuysuki, right? Thought the matrices on that series were fucked up." Judy nodded as she felt the warmth in her chest burn a little hotter. **I can't believe she knows this - nobody knows this stuff. No one has ever talked to me about this stuff.** "They were. But swappin' out matrices' simple. N' this was the only model that'd support additional scanwa--"

" _Ahem_ " Judy heard Evelyn's signature sound for ' _I'm getting annoyed_ '. Judy looked toward Evelyn who was staring at her. The techie could literally see the impatience pouring out of the blue-haired woman's eyes.

" _All right… all right._ " **Sheesh Ev. You're the one who took forever to get down here…** She looked at V again, a bit disappointed they couldn't continue their conversation.

Judy suddenly remembered why Evelyn and V were there in the first place. **Right-o. Ev's BD. The Heist. The thing that'll get us all killed. How could I forget about _THAT_?** Judy cleared her throat, "Compiled your BD, Ev."

Judy removed her wreath. "So what do you think? Think it'll do?" Evelyn asked. Judy tilted her head and scrunched her nose, "Eh… well… still pretty raw, but yeah… it oughta do." "Mhm... V needs to get deep inside, that's most important." Judy felt her face begin to flush again. **Oh, good choice of phrasing Ev. Did that on _purpose_.** Judy flashed Evelyn a quick glare before looking over at V, "So then…" She placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself out of her chair, "... let's calibrate and tune it to her."

She needed to go to her other desk in order to prepare the mercenary's sensory profile. However, a very challenging obstacle stood in her way. V was obstructing her path and hadn't noticed because she was still observing the techie's braindance equipment. Judy began walking toward V, hoping the mercenary would notice that she needed to step back so the techie could get by.

She was now very close to V - the mercenary still hadn't moved. Judy squinted her eyes and pressed forward. She turned her body slightly sideways so she could squeeze herself past the blockade. She was now even closer to the merc. If a pencil was placed in between the two, it wouldn't fall. She tried to fight it back, but a large smile encroached over her lips. **Stop smiling. Why do I keep smiling!? Prolly look'n like a gonk right now.** "Er, oh. S-sorry", V said, stumbling backward. Judy caught a glimpse of V's face. The mercenary's cheeks were flushed with red.

###### 

Judy saw that V was approaching the end of the Heywood Hold-up BD. She knew what was coming, but the mercenary didn't.

Flatliner braindances - XBDs that only the most extreme braindance enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies wanted to view. They were considered so extreme, that some who played one would actually flatline in real-time during the experience. Judy had remembered too late that this was the type of braindance she had preloaded prior to V's arrival.

She had tried to buy time to upload a different raw braindance for V but Evelyn's impatience had reached almost lethal levels. By the time Judy had uploaded and primed a different BD, Evelyn would have probably flatlined. So instead, the techie installed pain limiters into the mercenary's wreath. The software would trigger once V's body reacted to the painful execution, saving her from a real flatline.

Judy sat close to V, wanting to be there and make sure the mercenary was okay once the BD ended, in about 3… 2… 1…

The mercenary let out a piercing, blood-curdling sound. She lunged forward in the chair, her eyes wide open, burning a bright blue. V's vital sign monitor beeped warnings as Judy watched extreme spikes explode in the merc's cortisol and adrenaline. **Hang in there V…** Judy knew the mercenary was in complete darkness right now, but only for a few more seconds.

Judy watched the blue in V's eyes slowly dim out, exposing a darker color; a rich, dark chocolate brown. "Hey… Slow, deep breaths now. Your cortisol and adrenaline spiked, but the soft activated your hormone blockers." Judy watched V slowly raise her eyes to meet the techie's. Judy looked at her softly. "Nothin' happened, you're alive and well."

V's eyes closed and slowly shook her now hung head. The merc hadn't spoken a word yet from her unpleasant experience. " _Digame_ … how ya feelin'? Just breathe slowly, calmly. You're okay… it's alright…"

Judy hesitated, a trickle of timidness and uncertainty grew in her body. She lifted her hand and slowly brought it toward V. Now, courage emerged and diffused over the other two feelings as she placed her hand on V's lower thigh.

Judy felt a shock wave run up her spine and the warmth in her chest and belly heated up. She slowly rubbed her hand back and forth on V's leg, hoping the merc would find comfort in the connection.

###### 

Between fight or flight, Judy was a fighter. When under emotional attack or facing high levels of stress, her defensive walls would quickly shield her heart and soul while her body and mind would operate on auto-pilot. So when it came to facing things like fear, she only knew one way to respond - go on auto-pilot and get angry.

"Okay. Go ahead… I just need T-Bug to link in." Judy immediately felt a coldness quake through her entire body. She immediately stood up, her hands slamming down on her desk. She leaned forward toward V, "Woah woah woah woah, what? Excuse me? Who?"

"S-she's a runner from my crew. Security specialist." V raised her hand, gesturing towards Judy, "She'll tell me what to look for while we analyze." V lowered her hand back to her side, "No problem… I hope?" **The fuckin' netrunner?! No. Nope. NO FUCK'n way. Come in here and expose everyone. Expose Evie, me.**

"Actually, it IS a problem. Not what we agreed, Ev." Evelyn stood up, "Judy, please…" Judy placed both hands back down on her desk and leaned forward, glaring at Evelyn, "Ev, she wants to bring a 'RUNNER in. What part of that don't you understand?!" Judy shook her head defiantly while Evelyn walked toward the desk. "How do I know she'll only slip into THIS footage?" Judy snarled, still glaring at Evelyn. "Me - I'm your guarantee" Evelyn answered, softly. Judy rolled her eyes, standing back up, she placed her hands on her hips, "Yeah, right..."

"Remember our agreement…?" Evelyn asked Judy, quietly. "Help me. This one last time. I promise. Everything'll work out - just like we planned." Evelyn stared at Judy with eyes begging for agreement. **Our agreement… could finally help people… the dolls, joytoys… Evie could finally become an actress… Damnit Ev.**

She let out a long, exaggerated sigh, dropping her arms lower, shaking her head back and forth. "Okay… _Fine_." Judy said, defeated. "Okay, V. Call in T-Bug and we'll dive in."

###### 

She felt it boiling up again. Anger. Good 'ol fashioned, unadulterated anger. Grinding her teeth, she flashed V a hostile look, "If you _fuck up_ and they come knockin' on _MY_ door-" "Jude... _Relax_. That's not gonna happen." Evelyn barked.

She stormed away and sat down at her desk. Listening to music, getting shitfaced, smoking, editing braindances, or enjoying her hobbies were the only ways Judy could successfully calm down when anger took over. As of now, the only thing she could do to combat her anger was to work on braindances. She quickly grabbed her BD wreath, her hand shaking with rage. As she picked it up, she saw someone approach from the corner of her eye. **Jesucristo 'onna snap I'm interrupted.** As the figure came closer, she felt rage boil up, almost choking on fiery rage. She snapped her eyes toward whoever was approaching.

Her anger caught in her throat when she saw V standing there, giving her a gentle smile. "Well… Don't worry. I promise I won't do anything to get you into trouble. But, uh… I hope to see you again?" V tilted her head slightly to the side, giving an almost innocent look toward the braindance editor.

Silence. She noticed as her anger rapidly dissolved. She was overcome with a tidal wave of calmness. Fighting she no longer wanted to do. Confusion now something she'd struggled with.

Judy looked away momentarily. **What… just… happened?** Her voice still caught in her throat. She took a deep breath. She believed V - her gut told her to. When it came to people making promises to Judy, she never believed them. No one kept their promises in Night City. However, V was different and Judy wasn't quite sure why. She slowly let out her breath.

She looked at V with a small smile, "Hmm. Depends." V suddenly raised an eyebrow, "Depends…? Depends on what?" Judy's smile grew a bit more as she looked downwards, kicking her foot against the heel of the other, "On whether you come alone, or with a tag-along..." she looked up at V, wiggling her eyebrows with a mocking tone, "... like a _netrunner._ " V chuckled and waved her hands in front of Judy, "No 'runners. I promise." Judy rolled her eyes and laughed, returning to her editing. "Well, see ya, Judy." V said, turning around, heading back towards Evelyn.

###### 

Judy pulled her editor wreath off and sat it on her desk. Who was she kidding - she wouldn't be able to focus on editing right now. Not after everything that just happened. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking in a recount of the past few hours.

"Hey, Jude - you ok?"

Her eyes opened. She looked over and saw Evelyn leaning against the doorframe. The techie gave a small nod.

Her friend walked over, pulling a chair up. "So, what do you think about everything?"

Judy shrugged her shoulders, "We're all dead." Evelyn laughed as she sat down, "I'm serious. Give me more than that. What do you think about everything?" Judy sighed, "Frankly - I'm scared Evie. What if something goes wrong? What if you get hurt? What will we do?"

Evelyn opened up her purse and pulled out a cigarette. She offered one to Judy - she had quit smoking a long time ago, but once and awhile, if something really messed with her head, Judy would take a few drags. She accepted and Evelyn lit both cigarettes.

"Jude, the reason I hired this group was to ensure that if there were any casualties, you and I would be safe. We have to let the professionals do their job - they know the risks. Judy, I need you to trust me. Have faith in me. I promise everything will work out. You know I always keep a few cards up my sleeve."

Judy nodded and thought about Evelyn's words. For as long as Judy had known her, that woman always had a spare ace up her sleeve. "Good. Cuz if things go tits-up, I'll make sure to flatline you before anyone else gets the chance."

Evelyn laughed. She finished off her cigarette and stood up, "Well girl. It's late. I need to head out. I've got a lot of things I need to prepare. You promise you'll be okay?" Judy nodded, "You know me, Ev. Keep me locked up in the basement all day outta harm's way. I think I'm relatively safe."

Evelyn headed back toward the door. She stopped at the doorframe and looked back at Judy, who was now blankly staring at her computer screen. "Hey... Judes?" "Hmmm?" Judy looked over at Evelyn. "In the future, if we ever need to hire another merc… _Try not to fall for them so easily._ Or at least try n' hide it better. You looked like a complete _gonk_."

Judy's face immediately flushed, "W-What?" She crossed her arms and looked away, "Dunno what you're talkin' about." "Mmmm… Well, regardless. I think she's a good one. Could tell within the first few minutes talk'n to her. Plus, a huge upgrade from your last output. I even offered her future employment if she wanted - said she'd think about it." Evelyn turned back around and walked out.

Judy looked back at her screen - almost 3:30AM. She was tired. It had been a long day and she'd been working for 13 hours straight. Too much shit happened for her to suss through all of it in her head. She stood up, brushing off a few ashes off her overalls. She grabbed her BD wreath and wore it around her neck. She had a miniature studio at home where she frequently brought back braindances from Lizzie's to work on. **Need a drink.**

###### 

Judy walked through the club's double doors, humming to the tune of the song currently playing over the speakers. She noticed the club was unusually quiet. Things didn't usually die down until right before closing, at around 5:30AM.

She looked over toward the bar. Stopping dead in her tracks, she recognized the white shirt, black pants, and black sneakers. V was sitting alone at the bar, playing with a glass of whatever clear liquid she was drinking. Mateo was standing nearby cleaning the bar counter. He had noticed Judy and gave her a small wave. Judy looked over at him. He motioned his head toward V and then arched his eyebrow toward the Techie. She responded by raising up the same eyebrow and shrugging her shoulders.

She approached the bar and sat down on the barstool to the merc's left. The mercenary looked troubled, deep in thought. "Hey Mateo. _La Perle Des Alpes_ , please." Judy looked over at V who hadn't noticed the techie sit down.

"Hey… V? You doin' alright?" Judy watched the merc quickly shoot her gaze upward, her eyes bouncing around to see who spoke. Then the merc looked toward her left, raising both eyebrows in surprise as she saw Judy. "Oh. H-Hi Judy. When did you sit down? I didn't even notice."

Judy chuckled at V as she watched Mateo pop off the top of her drink, then slid it across the counter to her. " _Gracias_ ," Judy said as she lifted the bottle in the air, tipping it toward Mateo who nodded and walked away to restock the liquor shelves. Judy took a swig from the bottle before placing it down, "Not long. I was heading out for the night and saw you sitting over here… by yourself... Kinda pathetic really…" Judy gave V a teasing smile.

"Well, ya know... Getting flatlined twice and returning to life twice in one night - not many can brag about such things. Earns ya mad cred. People were buyin' me drinks left and right once word got out. ' _V, the unflatlineable Merc_ '. You must have juuuust missed them all, cooped up snug-as-a-bug in your little basement." Judy laughed. **Got us a jokester here.** Suddenly a wave of guilt took over as she thought about what the merc had said.

"Yeah… about that… I think I owe you an apology. Maybe a flatliner BD wasn't the best thing to start you off with. Y'know, most mercs we've worked with act like cocky, booster addicted gonks with their heads up their asses. Think'n they're untouchable. Gotta knock 'em off their high horses in order to even work with them…"

"I'm not like most mercs." Judy's voice trailed off as V looked at her. She felt her cheeks flush, "Heh, guess we'll see about that'' "Can I, uhm... Buy you another round...?" Judy blinked a few times and chuckled. **A jokester who's sorta cute.**

"Well, I work here, so my drinks are free…. But since you offered... Sure, I guess you can buy me a drink."

V scrunched her eyebrows and then laughed, waving at Mateo. "Can we get another bottle of whatever she's drinkin'?" Mateo nodded and grabbed a new bottle for Judy.

###### 

Judy bit a small portion of her bottom lip as she watched V walk outside. She continued watching, all the way up until the front doors fully closed.

" _Aaaaaahuuuuh…_ "

As she heard Candy's voice purring behind her, Judy immediately stopped biting her lip, the hairs on her neck standing up. She slowly turned around to see the purple-haired Mox leaning over the counter.

Kandee was learning so far over the counter, Judy was surprised she hadn't fallen off. The Mox's chin was resting on both hands as her hips wiggled with excitement.  
" _Sooooooooooooo_ …. Whaaaat was _thaaaaat_?" Kandaay cooed mockingly. Her feet were now up in the air behind her, kicking them back and forth. She had her entire body weight on the counter, inching closer to Judy.

Judy rolled her eyes and began walking past the Mox, back into the club, "Don't know what you're talkin' about."

" _Mmmmhhhmmmm_... see, I _told'ja_ that one'd be ya future output."

Goosebumps trickled down tech techie’s arms as she froze in the doorway. **Wait…. That's who she was talking about?!**


	3. Chapter Two: "Automatic Love" (V's Perspective)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Warning – V will experience some dark moments during this chapter. I felt that these feelings and thoughts would be an appropriate response to the unfortunate news she receives. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy Chapter 2.V! Version 2.J will be arriving soon.
> 
> [EDIT]: Modified the end of the parking lot scene for a more 'playful' interaction. I don't think I captured that properly.

# Chapter 2: "Automatic Love" (V's Perspective)

###### 

> _“ **The Chariot** \- Always charge ahead even if pulled in opposite directions. As the rider, you will rein in the light and dark sides of the soul with the help of Reason. To ride in The Chariot is to experience highs and lows – ups and downs. Overcome conflicts and move forward in a positive direction. One needs to keep going on and through sheer hard work and commitment, then will they be victorious.”_

###### 

“There is no _us_ ”

V threw her mug of scalding hot coffee at the empty seat in front of her. _((You know, you can’t throw shit at me either))_ , Silverhand quipped as the mercenary slid out of the booth, headed out the diner’s front door.

 **The nerve of that piece of scav shit.** _((I can hear’ya too. How many times we gonna dance this dance, V?))_

The merc felt every muscle in her body tense up. Luckily the deceased Rockstar was only a digitized psyche, otherwise V would have inflicted serious harm onto him. She could feel herself involuntarily grind her teeth while she pat around her jacket, trying to locate Misty’s Omega Blockers. **Ugh! Where the hell are they!?**

_((Left pocket, champ))_

Her hand brushed over the pocket. **_Bingo_... Y’know, if you weren’t such a giant prick, I _might’ve thanked you._** She quickly pulled the bottle out, spinning off the lid. Less than half of the pills were left. **Shit. I only got these things three days ago... I am _so_ fucked.**

 _((I know this’ll be'a hard concept for you to grasp, but maybe if you didn’t pop ‘em like they were candy, you’d have more.))_ She grabbed one of the large blue pills, tossing it into her mouth, and quickly swallowed. _((What, not even gonna say goodbye?))_

V could feel her uninvited guest drift away to the back of her mind. Though she could still feel his presence, it was better than listening to his infuriating thoughts. The past three days with her inner terrorist had been taxing, but the last couple of weeks was no skip in the park either.

###### 

Thirteen days ago, Dexter DeShawn executed V on the piss soaked, cum coated floor of the No Tell Motel. Then, to add insult to injury, the Fixer deemed it necessary to toss the mercenary's lifeless corpse away in the Night City landfill, like a piece of blood-soaked garbage. Occasionally, she could feel a phantom bullet where Dex shot her, piercing through her left temple and tearing through her brain like a hot knife through butter.

Her body laid in the wasteland for four days. However, instead of rigor mortis setting in and her corpse starting the decomposition process, the biochip lodged in her neural port had activated. It kept her body alive, forcing her into a type of deep sleep as it began to repair her brain. 

Then, she rose from the dead, buried under heaps of trash. No matter how many showers she’d taken, the mercenary still felt like there was a layer of filth fused to her skin. The Militech suit she had worn during her untimely demise was not in much better shape either. Misty tried washing it several times with no luck.

Though she could barely recall the events of that day, V did have a fond memory of witnessing Dexter’s skull getting split wide open from a bullet gifted by an ex-Arasaka bodyguard, Takemura. As her ex-ripper’s body fell backward, she watched life quickly drain from his eyes. It was satisfying to watch him eat his just deserts, but she would have preferred to carry out the sentencing herself. Had it been her, she wouldn’t have given the bastard the satisfaction of a swift death. She would have dragged it out as long as possible, until his body finally gave up.

Then for the next six days, she lay unconscious in Viktor Vector's clinic. There were a few times where she drifted back and forth over the line of consciousness, but for the majority, she was out cold. The ripperdoc hadn't accepted any other clients at all that week as he grappled with keeping the mercenary from flatlining a second time. For the first three days, he operated on her from sun up until sun down. He took bare minimum breaks to run to the bathroom as Misty monitored V, but other than that, he remained by the mercenary’s side, desperately trying to fix her broken body.

On the first day was the bullet extraction, which surprisingly, was relatively simple. The bullet made a clean entrance through her left temple and only reached about halfway into her brain, all thanks to the cyberoptic and cyberaudio implants she had installed several months earlier. 

As with most cranium installed cyberware, an implant’s spider silk-thin neural wiring wraps within and around the brain. Those weaved wires created layers of shielding around V’s brain that helped slow and ultimately stop the bullet. The neural wires of her cyberoptics did not suffer much damage from the bullet’s impact, but her left cyberaudio wiring had been completely destroyed.

With the bullet's trajectory stopped, the relic could repair and rebuild most of the destroyed brain tissue, but not all of it. Irreversible damage would always remain in her frontal lobe and a small portion of her temporal lobe. Luckily for V, the location of the damage would not result in chronic consequences. It made it so she would no longer be able to smell or taste certain SCOP. More specifically flavored whey, chicken, and salmon SCOPs.

Had the bullet traveled all the way through her brain and exited through her right temple, she would have remained comatose with no hopes of ever reawakening. Even if the engram fully overwrote her psyche and regardless of the biochip’s repairs, her body would always stay in a vegetative state.

The mercenary’s vitals began to stabilize after the bullet, its metal shrapnel fragments, and pieces of shattered skull had been removed. Then Viktor performed a full body scan on her, trying to identify what all needed to be repaired or replaced in her head and the rest of her body. 

Then, the ripperdoc’s heart shattered – he found the biochip lodged within her nerualport and reviewed the fatal diagnosis over and over again. With his eyes transfixed on the screen, he felt an ocean of defeat begin to drown him – No matter what he did, he would not be able to truly save his friend.

It took Viktor a moment to get back into the fight – If there was anything the once heavyweight boxer of Watson learned during his athletic career, it was how to pull your pathetic ass together and stand back up to fight, no matter how many times you’ve been knocked down. Giving up was for losers and Viktor knew he and V were champs. He proceeded to replace V’s damaged left cyberaudio implant with a new, upgraded version. He also upgraded her right implant as well.

Originally, V had installed a base model _Phone Splicer with ECM Scrambler abilities_. When paired with her cyberoptics marquee option, this type of cyberaudio implant enabled virtual holocalls with audio, review of recorded audio messages with live scrolling captions, and text conversations that could mimic the contacts voice when read. She simply had to click her teeth together to activate the soft and mutter under her breath to respond to calls or write out messages as the implant’s receiver picked up the vibrations of her mastoid bone. 

The scrambler feature ensured those calls and messages were encrypted so no one could hack in and hear or read her conversations. For a mercenary, this type of cyberware was crucial in order to be discrete, especially when accepting hitman contracts.

Viktor’s upgrade was a _Radio Link_ , an advanced version of her base model implant. This upgrade allowed V to hear a contact’s voice through their text messages, control her phone completely through the holo via thought command as long as her phone was within 250 feet from her, and respond to holocalls and texts nonverbally if she enabled the feature. Her thoughts could project into audio and her text replies would automatically transcribe into letters. It also included the following features:  


> _**Voice Stress Analyzer:** A form of lie detector AI that can read the mercenary's intentions. If it sensed V interrogating someone, the soft would pick up minute changes within vocal patterns and notify if the person was being truthful or dishonest via warnings flashing in her optics._
> 
> _**Enhanced Hearing with Sound Editing:** Could either allow the user to ‘zero in’ on specific sounds, edit out distracting noises, or record audio._
> 
> _**Wide Band Radio Scanner:** State-of-the-art scanner which connected to not only NCPD, but to fire, ambulance, and Trauma Team communication bands._

  
_Vik never told V about the upgrades he gave her, free of charge. He knew she would feel obligated to repay him. Instead, he was hopeful that his act of kindness -- fighting to keep her alive -- would be returned by his dear friend pulling through and picking up the fight later; the fight to continue surviving._

Once finished installing the new implants, the ripperdoc needed to repair V’s skull and replace the damaged skin on her head. She also had wounds spread across her body that were acquired during the botched heist that Viktor wanted to address as well. He pulled a few strings and called in a favor from an old boxing choomba who was the customer of a respected body sculptor. In order to settle his debts with the ripperdoc, the man paid for very expensive sheets of synthetic skin that would mimic V’s skin color and tone and automatically heal itself if damaged. The man also paid for separate synthskin that grew tech hair of the mercenary’s natural color.

On the second day, the man gathered the materials to deliver to Vik’s clinic and the ripperdoc grafted a bulletproof metal plate that matched the natural shape of the leftside of V’s skull. He removed a large section of skin from her head in order to fuse the plate to her bone. Then that evening, the synthskin delivery arrived and Viktor spent the following day delicately suturing the new skin over the metal plate and replacing damaged skin around the merc’s torso, arms, and legs. Once finished, he wrapped surgical dressing around her body to protect the new skin and ensure it would heal evenly. Once healed, she would look as if nothing had ever happened to her, plus or minus a couple of new scars.

_The ripperdoc also never told the mercenary about the transaction that occurred between him, his choomba, and the synthskin doctor._

When she opened her eyes on day six, Vicktor wiped away a tear of happiness and relief. However, that moment was short lived as he befell the fatal diagnosis to the mercenary. Her reaction to the news was one of the hardest challenges the ripperdoc had ever faced.

Misty then took V home, attempting to help the mercenary through the shock of the future she had to accept and face. Then the two women spent some time reminiscing about Jackie before Misty gave V two bottles; one bottle of blue Omega Blockers to calm the beast and one bottle of orange Pseudoendotrizine to release it. The mercenary didn’t understand why she was offered the orange pills, but she was grateful for receiving anything at all. Not soon after, Misty left and V fell asleep.

Then the next three days were the worst days of V’s life.

On the first day, the psychotic engram kept trying to kill her. He tried slamming her head against her bay window, tried to get her to slice her own throat with a dull knife, even tried forcing her to bite out her own tongue so she’d bleed to death. V had to take Omega Blocks every half hour to keep Johnny at bay. 

Her brain did not absorb the Omega Blockers well at the beginning. As the biochip continued to replace missing brain matter and repair damaged tissue, her system confused the vitamins as if they were a hostile foreign substance. Once the repair process finished, which would only take one more day, the blockers would begin working faster and longer. However, they weren't a miracle pill; V would still slowly fade away.

On the second day, Johnny left her alone to her own spiraling dark thoughts. She struggled coming to terms with the fact that she would soon cease to exist. She was still young and had always thought she would have more time. Now, her world and dreams were shattered. 

She had dreamt of becoming a Night City legend alongside Jackie, but that was a dream they had together - without Jackie, there was no more dream and no more desire. She had also hoped to one day find a woman who wanted to be by her side - a ride or die that would grow with her. A woman who V could fall in love with and who would love her back. Now there was no time and she would never know the experience.

She struggled with thoughts of giving in and giving up. Ultimately to her, there was no point in waiting for the inevitable. The only thing she could control was how soon the inevitable would happen – wait it out and feel herself disappear, or go ahead and swallow the entire bottle of pseudoendotrizine, giving permission for Silverhand to take over immediately.

She was afraid, hopeless, and forever lost. She grieved terribly for Jackie – her best friend that could always make her laugh; for T-Bug – the antisocial netrunner who the mercenary had eventually gotten to open up and earn her trust; and for herself and the future that was stolen from her. 

She had never felt like this before. The once determined and confident street kid quickly shriveled into a pile of sorrow, remorse, and fragility. She reminisced the days where she was strong and reliable -- always ready to dive into action whenever someone gave the call. Her reputation with Jackie had built to a respectable level and she was quickly becoming a rising star among mercenaries. She never needed to asked for help.

But now when she needed it most, her plea for assistance could not be answered by anyone.

She tried numbing her mind with whatever she could find in her apartment, which wasn't much. A few full bottles of alcohol only helped slow her thoughts, not erase them. She didn’t even bother swallowing more Omega Blockers. The broken mercenary had hoped that the bomb in her head was compelled to finish the mission he so valiantly fought for the day prior.

She pleaded for the Rockstar to take the reins she was too weak to carry, but again, her pleas were unanswered.

On the third day, she woke with a terrible hangover and then the Rockstar decided to finally reappear. However, instead of attempting to take her life, he offered to make amends. He told her that he didn’t want to kill her, and to his surprise, that infuriated her. 

She believed his offer was a means to actually make her suffer more – he wouldn’t grant her what she had begged for, and instead, would rather watch her slow decline. The hate that boiled in her toward him was becoming a new fuel; an energy to fight for survival. If Johnny wanted to watch her death, then she would deprive him of such luxury for as long as she possibly could. If that meant she needed to fight to stay alive for months, she felt the determination to do it.

Her feelings of self-pity from the day before dissolved and were replaced with only anger and resentment. She resented Jackie and T-Bug for dying and leaving her alone. She resented herself for surviving. She hated Dexter for betraying her. She resented Viktor for fixing her and then telling her she had only a couple of weeks to live. She hated her hangover. And most of all, she hated that fucking parasite sitting on her couch smoking, filling her with an intense desire for nicotine, and stealing her future.

The mercenary forced herself from her bed and went to her bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she eyed the bandages wrapped around her body. Next to her was an inhaler that she grabbed. On its side was a small digital screen with the words _[Prescribed by: V.Vector - 1 DOSAGE LEFT]_ scrolling by. She took the final dose, inhaling slowly and finally exhaling a bright green cloud of vapor.

Vik had prescribed her with a medication she needed to inhale twice daily - once in the morning and once at night. Then she was required to remove the medical wrap once the final dosage had been taken.

She stood in awe, staring at her naked self in the mirror once all of the bandages were removed. She traced her finger around the left side of her head where she had been shot, admiring Vik’s work. The area was still a bit tender, but other than that, V could not tell that she had ever had surgery. She checked the right-side of her ribcage where she remembered a bullet had grazed her during the Konpeki shootout. It too looked healed, as if nothing had ever happened before. 

In this moment, the mercenary felt overwhelming gratitude toward her dear friend Viktor – He was almost like a father to her and she knew he cared for her deeply.

V decided to take a shower – She couldn’t remember the last time she had bathed since her life spiraled out of control and cold water would surely help her hangover. She hadn’t realized that Johnny had been watching her the entire time, trying to figure out how to talk to her.

Silverhand’s offer was genuine – he wanted to make amends and he didn’t want to see her die. He had his own time to reminisce about past decisions, but unlike V’s, his past didn’t make him happy. His past made him sad. He was not a good person and he knew it. He hurt everyone around him and he failed in removing the corporate grip that strangled Night City. However, now fate dealt him a new hand of cards – ones that he could play to make amends to old friends if they were still alive, to destroy the _Soul Prison_ Mikoshi, and to finally perform an act of kindness; save the mercenary’s life.

But personalities don’t change over a night – or in his case, _50 years_ \-- and Johnny was still a complete asshole who didn’t know how to communicate to others in a healthy or constructive way.

As the mercenary sat in her shower, running ice cold water over her pounding and hungover head, the Rockstar walked around checking out her digs, critiquing everything. He didn’t like her décor, she didn’t have enough black clothes, he couldn’t find any Samurai wallpaper or decals anywhere. After he criticized every item in the apartment, which took an uncomfortably lengthy amount of time, he waltzed into the bathroom without care. It had really annoyed him that V wouldn’t acknowledge his attempts to start anew… or any of his bickering, and V was not a fan of him sitting on her toilet, smoking and staring at her. However, she was still too weak to stand and everything in the room was continuing to spin.

Then Johnny felt the next best step was to begin making passes at V. He asked if she would feel her own breasts so he could also feel them, then he asked her to masturbate so he could also enjoy it. He moaned and groaned that he hadn’t been ‘ _inside a woman in over 50 years_ ’ and that his ‘ _blue balls_ ’ were driving him mad. Then he gloated, flaunting that as a rocker boy, he was ‘ _able to fuck any woman who stood nearby_ ’.

Naturally, V was completely repulsed by his request and by him even thinking about her in that way. Her feelings of disgust were so overwhelmingly powerful, that even Johnny began to feel a bit appalled by the idea of it all. She forced herself to leave the shower and take another Omega Blocker so he’d leave her alone. As she began to swallow the pill, Johnny tried to stop her by blurting out that he knew how to save her life if she would just believe that he wanted to actually help her.

She swallowed, and soon after, he was gone. A moment of hope sparked in her chest when she heard his claim, but then it quickly dissolved. She didn’t trust the sociopathic terrorist. He would do and say anything possible to keep her from taking the blockers and ensure she faced oblivion sooner than later. Out of principle, she promised herself she would fight to stay in control of her own mind and body for as long as possible, just to annoy Johnny.

That evening, the mercenary had an aftercare follow-up appointment with Viktor and Misty. The ripperdoc wanted to see how V’s body was healing, and Misty wanted to see how V’s mind was healing.

Her body passed with a clean bill of health.

The ripperdoc was happy to inform V that her body had almost completely healed and, with the help of Misty’s blockers, she could potentially outlive her prior diagnosis of living for only a couple of weeks to at least a few months up to half a year. 

However, a warning came with the good news; by using the blockers, V’s brain would most likely attack the biochip, causing malfunctions that would impact her nervous system, similar to an autoimmune deficiency disease. These flare ups could range from minor and uncomfortable blips of discomfort to potentially fatal, painful attacks causing her nervous system to react too harshly and end up shutting off her vital organs.

As for her mental health, the mercenary was in trouble.

She told Misty about the dark places her mind had wandered and the anger and hopelessness that was consuming her

Misty decided the best thing to do for the merc was perform two tarot readings. The first reading would be V’s current outlook. This would require the mercenary to draw three cards, one to review her past, her present, and her future. V proceeded to draw and flip her cards over:

> _**Past:** “Death – Hmm. How fitting… A card of signifying imminent and difficult transition –conclusion of one phase of life and the beginning of another. Inevitably, something gets lost during the transformation, but something else will rise and take its place.”_
> 
> _**Present:** “Strength – Resilience. Determination, bravery, and internal struggle. One must have dedication in order to overcome obstacles and reach their goal through physical prowess and spiritual fortitude – the power that must be unleashed to achieve the impossible.”_
> 
> _**Future:** “The Reversed Magician – You may not be rewarded at the end of your destination, but through the journey itself. The journey is what’s important and what will help you overcome your fear.”_

Misty also discussed the importance of aligned Chakras, or inner energy points, with the mercenary.

Aligned Chakras could help V connect with the universe, her inner self, and with the comic elements of the tarot. “For a soul with energy that is misaligned will tread down a path of distraction. However, a soul with energy that is balanced and open will allow one to connect with the universe and create a path to fulfillment.”

Misty performed the Chakra analysis:

> _**Root Chakra** , where V’s desire to survive came from, was open but imbalanced. The mercenary had a desire to survive, but not necessarily for the right reasons. Misty urged the merc to dig deeper within herself. If the root chakra remained imbalanced, it would compromise the integrity of her entire being, which would weaken V’s will and leave her vulnerable, ultimately sealing her fate._
> 
> _**Sacral Chakra** , which housed V’s emotions, relationships, and feelings of self-worth, was closed. The mercenary needed to learn how to accept change, adapt, and forgive. An open Sacral Chakra would allow her to channel passion and emotional connection. If this chakra remained closed, it meant she would be shutting herself off to the support of the people she cared about the most._
> 
> _**Heart Chakra** , which was the merc’s ability to love, understand, trust, hope, and forgive, was blocked; her overwhelming grief and anger were preventing her energy from passing through. Giving love and receiving love would open this passageway, but this was something even V couldn’t fathom yet. _

  
After Misty and V discussed some of the possible meanings behind her reading and how the merc could improve her chakra, the part-time nurse part-time new age fortune teller began to read the mercenary’s second tarot.

The second reading would be V’s forecast. This would require the mercenary to draw seven cards. V proceeded to draw and flip her cards over:

> _**“The Chariot** \- Always charge ahead even if pulled in opposite directions. As the rider, you will rein in the light and dark sides of the soul with the help of Reason. To ride in The Chariot is to experience highs and lows – ups and downs. Overcome conflicts and move forward in a positive direction. One needs to keep going on and through sheer hard work and commitment, then will they be victorious.” _
> 
> _**“The Moon** \- She reminds us that reality is not always what it seems at first glance. Perhaps a misunderstanding on your part, or a truth you cannot admit to yourself. In a world of appearances and illusions, the best course is often charted by one's own intuition.” _
> 
> _**“The Hanged Man** – A card of surrender and sacrifice, though it might not be your own. Prices must be paid in order for you to achieve some form of enlightenment. The Hanged Man's forsakenness opens the path for rebirth into a new life, though this path can be wrought with pain suspended in time and ultimately ends in some type of death or end.” _
> 
> _**“Justice Reversed** – Dishonestly and imbalance. You must be very careful with those you meet... Not all will be worthy of your trust. Listen to your intuition as your decisions will impact others.” _
> 
> _**“Temperance** – A card of balance. This might symbolize self-restraint or the gradual shift toward a more mature state of equilibrium. Associated with being in control of oneself as well as the desire to achieve inner peace.” _
> 
> _**“The Devil** \- You will find yourself under the influence of powerful people with unclear motives. Be wary, be careful, and listen. You will receive guidance from the side of light and the side of dark. Carefully choose who you will align with.” _
> 
> _**“The Star** \- Hope and inspiration. In the darkest of nights there is a light that shines the path to home. The Star is motivation, faith, and blesses those with strength to move forward. Find what will be your star, whether internally or externally.” _

  
At the end of her checkup, Viktor told the mercenary that she was a fighter and he expected her to fight, to survive, and to win. “Just because I can’t help you doesn’t mean there isn’t someone else, somewhere else, who could.”

The mercenary left later, uncertain what to believe. She was never one to trust Misty’s mumbo-jumbo.

It wasn’t until today – the fourth day, that instead of only feeling copious amounts of anger, hopelessness, and confusion, she felt hope. On this day, Takemura called her in the morning, waking her up. He had been with Vicktor during the first few days of her operations and he understood the unfortunate predicament she was left with. However, he was confident he knew how to save her life, but in return, she needed to help him. She needed to meet him that morning at Tom’s Diner.

###### 

**Evelyn - _Fuckin’_ \- Parker.**

V needed to find the mastermind behind the shitshow of a heist that had not only ruined her reputation, but ruined her life. The person who swore that she had everything under control. The person who promised that Yorinobu would not be at Konpeki. The person who was supposed to provide accurate intel and keep everyone safe – keep everyone _alive_.

The mercenary demanded answers. Answers to all the unanswered questions burning in her mind. Answers that could potentially save her life. Even if Evelyn was most likely no longer in Night City or even nUSA, V was ready to travel to the other side of the world to track this woman down. The merc was no longer wallowing in self-pity. Now she had a goal. Now she was determined, and she was pissed.

**_Nothing_ is gonna stop me from gettin’ answers. Not _distance_. Not a _bullet to the brain_. Not Night City Area Rapid Transit which _isn’t running for whatever reason._**

**And _NOBODY_ is gonna get in my way. Not some gonk who totaled my _fuckin’ ride_ in the parking garage this morning. Not an _unbelievably assholish digitized rocker-terrorist._ And _definitely_ not…**

**… _Judy._**

V stood outside of Tom’s Diner, now quiet. Now still. Now a bit calmer.

_The last time the mercenary talked with the techie was right before the heist. They had messaged each other - Judy reached out to V, wishing her and the team luck. Then at the end of their conversation, the mercenary made a promise to come back and unnecessarily buy the brilliant braindance editor another drink at Lizzie’s._

**_Judy._ **

_The stunningly gorgeous tattooed wonder that V hadn’t stopped thinking about since she first saw the woman leaning against the bar – the last beautiful memory that flashed before the mercenary’s eyes when Dexter pulled the trigger._

V quickly pulled out her cellphone to find Judy’s contact information. **I need to call _Judy_**. Before she could open her contacts to find the techie’s number, a laughing ghost popping out of a clamshell flashed in V’s vision and began ringing. She was calling Judy.

**W-what? Wait what? I didn’t even dial her on my phone yet. How the hell’d that happen?**

In her optics, a message flashed by: _[Thought Response Disabled] Think ‘YES’ to enable._

**What the hell is this? ‘Thought Response’? Uh, _no_?**

As the mercenary stared at her phone in confusion, trying to figure out how she made a call without actually making a call and what the weird prompts were, she heard a beep.

> **[Judy]:** V…? That you? H-holy _shit_ V… I thought you were… _gone._
> 
> **[V]:** You’re not alone in thinking me dead… Heh… Thought it was game over for me, too.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Things went ass up, huh? Not as planned?
> 
> **[V]:** Heard about the heist, I take it. Must've talked to _Evelyn._
> 
> **[Judy]:** Didn't need to. Whole damned city's heard.
> 
> **[V]:** Judy, listen. I need to find Evelyn.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Uhm…I really don't wanna talk about her.
> 
> **[V]:** I’m serious. Do you know where she is?
> 
> **[Judy]:** V, what'd I just say? Drop it. I won't tell ya’ again.

**…W-what? _What the hell_? **

> **[V]:** Judy, you're my one hope. The only lead I got. I gotta find her… An' I know you can help me do that.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Who told you I'd want to?

**…Okay what the _hell_ is her problem!? **

> **[V]:** …Can we meet? Let's meet, please? You at Lizzie's?  
>  _*click*_

  
V stood in front of the diner; face scrunched with confusion. “W-w…WHAT THE _FUCK_ JUST HAPPENED?!,” she shouted down at her phone. Several passersby stopped and stared at the red-faced merc. Many averted their routes, either completely turning around in fear that the mercenary was succumbing to cyberpsychosis, or simply crossing the street to walk on the other side of the road.

**Wow, this. THIS shit right _here’s_ ‘xactly why we made the rule. _‘Don’t get friendly with clients or people related to a job.’_ ‘Cause this type of gonk shit happens. What the _fuck_ is her problem?**

The merc turned and immediately hailed one of the many Delamain cabs that were driving down the street. She was in luck as one of the artificial intelligent cabs didn’t currently have a passenger and the black vehicle immediately pulled over. As she approached, the backdoor of the cab automatically opened. V entered and looked at the computer screen that was built within the backside of the front passenger headrest.

“Welcome onboard this Delamain service. With Delamain, _you leave your problems at the door_.” V rolled her eyes, “Lizzie’s Bar. Asap.”

**_Nobody_ is gonna get in my way. Not some gonk who totaled my _fuckin’ ride_ in the parking garage this morning. Not an _unbelievably assholish digitized rocker-terrorist._ And _definitely_ not _Judy._**

###### 

“We are nearing our destination.”

It was nearing 3PM when the Delamain cab entered the parking lot of Lizzie’s Bar. The nightclub didn’t open until 6PM, but nothing was going to stand in V’s way. Even if she needed to pry the front doors open with her bare hands.

“Thank you for choosing the Delamain service. And _best of luck!_ ”

V stepped out of the cab and headed toward the bar’s entrance. She saw the same pink and blue-haired bouncers she had met several nights ago. Rita held her bat in the air, pointing it toward the mercenary, “ _Hey_! Haven’t I seen you here before?” She squinted, then smiled, “Got a good memory for faces.”

“Yes. Was here not too long ago,” V quickly replied. “A-ha! Knew I recognized you. _‘S.F.T.A_ ’!” The mercenary furrowed her eyebrows in confusion for a moment, “I need to talk to punchin’ Judy. She in her den?”

Rita’s smile immediately faded as she stared at V. The pink-haired Mox glanced toward the other Moxer who responded with a slight shrug. Rita chewed her bottom lip and scratched the back of her neck in thought before looking back at the merc, “Yeah… she is… I’ll let’cha in. You can take the stairs down. I’ll let her know you’re comin’. But… Just don’t let me catch you messin’ around. Okay?” She tapped her bat on the ground and the entrance began to open.

As V walked past Rita, a hand shot out and cut the mercenary off. She looked at Rita, whose arm was pressing against her chest. “Hey, just… Look. _You know_ Judy. _I know_ Judy. Girl can have a bit of a _temper_ , right? Just… Don’t take to heart what she says, _feel me_?” The mercenary felt her teeth grind with annoyance, “… Yeah. _Preem_. Got it.” Rita continued staring at V for a moment before lowering her arm, giving a nod of approval to proceed.

The club’s atmosphere was definitely different during the day. At night it was packed with people dancing, loud music thumping through various speakers, and the smell of booze and sweat hung in the air. However, during the day, Lizzie’s Bar felt like any other gang headquarters V had visited before - Maelstrom, Valentinos, Animals, even Tyger Claws; Just a bunch of gang members lounging around chatting with each other, some eating and drinking while talking about gang gossip, some watching braindances, and some snoozing on couches.

As the mercenary walked by, several Moxers stopped what they were doing to stare, quickly turning back to their friends, giggling and shushing each other. However, not all members reacted the same way.

Near the bar were several cases of alcohol that had yet to be unpacked from a shipment that had arrived not soon before the mercenary. Sitting on top of the cases was Mateo who was taking inventory counts of the different types of liquor. When the bartender saw V, he quickly jumped off the cases and aggressively approached her.

“Club’s closed. Why are _you_ here?” he asked coldly. The mercenary narrowed her eyes at the muted-purple haired man, “I wanna talk to Judy.” He folded his arms and scowled, “ _Mhm_. The question is, she wanna talk to _you_?” V cocked up her eyebrow and responded mockingly, “Well. _Guess I’ll find out soon enough_. Gals up front let me in. Told me she’s in her suite. So, _thanks for the chat._ ” The mercenary continued forward, slamming her shoulder against the bartender’s, causing him to stumble.

“You _lit---_ ” As Mateo turned to grab the mercenary, another Mox member grabbed his shoulder, “ _’Teo_ , leave this one alone.”

V walked through the double doors that led to the maze of hallways, more doors, and stairs down to Judy’s braindance den. **Heh… Den. _VERY_ fitting for the ferocious lioness that is Judy**, V thought as she rolled her eyes. She turned down a hallway – at the end was the doorway into the Mox’s dressing room and standing in the doorway were three Moxer’s chatting. Suddenly, their conversation became amplified in V’s ears, and all other noises became muted.

 **W…what the hell’s _happenin’ to my hearin’_?** The mercenary scrunched her eyebrows and patted her ears with her palms, trying to see if there was an issue with her implants. No change. She gave up and continued walking, listening to the conversation that sounded like it was occurring right next to her.

“Phhfft. Judy’s just embarrass’n herself. _Again_ …” a female voice said. “Why does Suze even _keep her around_?” another woman’s voice.

The mercenary immediately felt her hands clutch into tense fits as she continued to approach.

“You’re… Kiddin’, _right_? Jude’s virtues keep ‘em all comin’! Keeps the lights on in here. _THAT_ ’s why,” a male voice responded. “Puh, _whateveeer_. Club would make it off fame alone. _Everyone knows Lizzie’s!_ ” the second woman exclaimed. “Susie would _rather not test that theory._ I can’t blame her either,” the first woman replied.

V’s hearing switched back to normal as she reached the group, “The only reason Lizzie’s has _any reputation_ is solely because of Judy’s virtues. No one can hold a candle to her gift. She cuts 'em like they're diamonds,” V hissed through her teeth, “No one would ever come here without them. If you think _ANYONE_ would come here just for _you_ , you’ve got shit for brains. Now, get the _fuck outta of my way._ ” The merc stopped walking and stood with her shoulders straightened and arms folded, staring at the group.

“W-who the _fuck are you_? Say that again, _bitch_ , n’ see what happens to you,” one of the women said while stepping forward toward the mercenary. As V felt her muscles tense, preparing for a fight, the male Mox member grabbed the woman, “ _Whoa_ – stop. Let it lie girl. We need to go, that’s Judy’s _friend_.” The woman stopped herself from stepping forward but continued to glare at the merc. She let out a frustrated sigh and turned to the side, motioning for V to pass through.

The mercenary locked eyes with the woman as she walked by, “If you’re gonna act _tough_ , I suggest you take your grievances straight to Judy and not behind her back to your _choombas_ , n' we'll see if she lets you live afterward.” The woman’s eyes widened as she took a step back. “ _W-whatever_. Just _go_ ,” the woman mumbled.

V continued on down her path, through the dressing room, down the stairs, through the basement, the server room, and then the lion’s den. As the mercenary approached, she heard the voices of two women. As the braindance studio came into the merc’s line of sight, so did two lionesses fighting; Judy and her boss, Susie Q.

“I _hate_ surprises,” snarled Susie. The smaller yet equally ferocious lioness folded her arms and shook her head, “Mhm. Reeeaally feelin’ that _sense of community_ right now…” Before entertaining a response, Susie caught the mercenary in the corner of her eye. She glanced toward the doorway at V, who was leaning against the frame, watching the show.

Susie looked back at the defiant little Judy, “Y’know, if you’re _so concerned_ about them strays, how ‘bout you _go take care of yours._ ” The Mox Leader immediately lifted her hand and pushed Judy’s shoulder, causing the techie to lose balance, stumbling back out of the Mox's way as she headed toward the exit. As V saw the interaction, she felt her fists tense up again and her jaw muscle flex as she bit down on her own teeth.

“S-suse! We’re not done here!,” the little lioness growled. Susie did not look back as she continued walking, “Oh yeah, _we fuckin’ are._ ” As the Mox Leader approached, she tilted her head at the mercenary in a ‘ _Wanted that conversation to end, stat. I don’t know who you are – don’t wanna know who you are, but thanks,_ ’ kind of way before V watched her leave the area.

“You just don’t give up, do you? Got _nothin’_ more to say to each other. Thought I made that clear, or was I just _too subtle_ for you?” V quickly snapped her head toward Judy, who stood in front of the merc, her arms folded with a scowl.

V was the type of mercenary who would accept any contract as long as the eddies’ sang and it would help build her reputation. Sometimes, those contracts would put the mercenary in very stressful, hostile, dangerous situations - but the merc had several years of intense training on the streets, teaching her how to shut off her emotions when facing threats so could make calm, calculated decisions. 

What the merc didn’t realize was she was about to face the most treacherous foe she’d ever encounter; A really, _really_ angry Judy Alveraz.

The merc was caught a bit off guard as she felt the little lioness's glare cut through her skin, “What… uh… what was _that all’about_?” Judy rolled her eyes, “Everyone in this fuckin’ city lives in their own goddamn bubble. You either fly high or you sink into quicksand, and no one’ll give two shits when you drown. Why the _hell_ do you even care?” The tattooed woman’s lips sneered as she turned away, sitting down at her computer.

“Lady seemed like she knows what she wants… I’m assuming she’s your boss?” V inquired, trying to ease tensions as she stepped closer to the techie’s desk. “Did you _seriously_ come all this way just to play _‘Who’s Who_ ’ at the Mox?” Judy barked, her hands turning to fists on her keyboard. The mercenary rolled her eyes and lowered her voice, “ _Listen_. Have you seen Evelyn? Need to talk to her. It’s _important._ ”

Judy rolled her chair back, throwing her hand in the merc’s direction, “ _Why_? So you can make her your _little scapegoat_ for your trainwreck of a heist?” The mercenary felt her jaw muscle tighten, “Sounds like you know how everything went down. _Guess that means you did talk to her._ ” Judy shook her head and laughed sarcastically, “Heh, yeah. I know what happened. I know _you_ fucked up. Got all your _choombas killed_ , like a real _fuckin’ pro_.” Judy stood up from her chair and began to push past the mercenary.

V immediately stood her ground, shooting her arm in front of the techie, blocking her path forward. The mercenary’s body shook. Her eyes narrowed, and her breath became shallow. She felt her stomach churn as emotion came crashing in; anger, grief, and guilt.

 _Got all your choombas killed_. That was a blow, and a low one. A very, very low one.

She felt a chill travel down her spine as fire rose from her throat, “Don’t _ever._ EVER. Say that to me _again_. Ever. You weren’t there. You don’t know _jackshit ‘bout fuck-all_ , so don’t act like you know. Sure, I took a risk. So did the rest of my team. So did _YOU_. Everyone did. But it was _Evelyn_ who gave it to us in the _first place_ ,” V’s voice trembled, her jaw clenching tighter and tighter. She pulled her arm away, taking a step back. Her eyes burnt as she felt tears trying to build in numbers, but she quickly blinked them away.

Judy paused for a moment, disoriented by the mercenary’s rage. She stepped forward, lifting a finger and pressing it hard against V’s chest, “Know what? _Yeah_ , I wasn’t there, but we saw _EVERYTHIN’_ on the news. _Live_. You’re a fuckin’ _MUR-DER-ER_. Killed Saburo because that’s all you mercs do – if somethin’ gets in your way, ya kill 'em. And then you get others killed or hurt. _YOU_ fucked up and now _YOU_ get'ta live with that.”

V swatted the techie’s drilling finger from her chest, raising her voice, “Don’t act innocent in _ANY_ of this. You played your part in this little fiasco. Heist wouldn’ta ever gotten off the ground without _YOU_ messing in her _BD_.” Judy’s face flushed red as she bared her teeth, “You two _HAZED_ me, for **FUCK’S SAKE**! Both of you! This whole thing stank. Said it from the start!” Judy raised her hands and pushed V in the chest, forcing the mercenary to step back as the techie walked by, heading toward the back of her studio. The merc sarcastically laughed, “You really wanna pull the victim card? _Seriously_!? Because, I don’t see a single fuckin’ scratch on you, _princess_. We’re all in this pisspot together, whether you wanna admit'it or not.”

Judy stopped walking and went silent. Her hands shook as she balled them into fists. V approached, feeling her adrenaline surge and pupils enlarging, “Do you do this for _fun_ because you got nothin’ else better to do?! Bored in your little office?! Talkin’ around in _CIRCLES_!? I tried to make this as simple as possible. Just tell me where she is for _Christ's_ sake – why can’t you!?”

The techie immediately turned around, her face red and her eyes tearing up. She quietly hissed through her teeth, “… I don’t _trust you_. That simple enough for you'ta understand? Here, something else simple. I want _you_ … to… get out… of my _God damn studio_. **NOW**. And don’t _ever_ come back again. You understand me? _GO_. Before I call the girls in.” The techie shot her hand up, pointing toward the door.

The two stood there for a moment, eyes locked on each other. The merc felt a coldness close in around her – it was a familiar feeling. Similar to what she had felt when she had gotten shot. The lonely, cold embrace of death trapped within ice. She felt all of her emotions flush away – she wasn’t angry. She didn’t grieve or feel guilt. _She felt dead._

She looked away, shaking her head, “Whatever. Wouldn’t believe me if I told you that we _didn’t lay a finger_ on The Emperor – that it’s all set up. All this ‘ _murderer_ ’s been doin’ is try an’ get some answers. Find out what _went wrong_ … n' y’know what? Think I got my first answer to what went wrong. I misjudged you. You were right. Everyone in this hellhole of a city does live in their own goddamn bubble. Flyin’ high, or sink’n quicksand. So, _thanks Judy_. Thanks for showin' me who you are. You're over there, not givin' two shits while you watch me drown.” The mercenary turned around and walked away without looking back.

She stormed out of the braindance studio, jamming her fists in her jacket pockets. She felt nothing. She thought nothing.

She continued to walk through the glowing red server room, back through the basement, and up the stairs. The rocker appeared at the top of the landing with his sunglasses on, smoking.

_((Mummy’ n’ Duddy’ done fightin’?))_

**Fuck off.** The mercenary walked through the body of the digitized Rockstar, pressing her way forward. As she entered the dressing room, the three gossiping Moxers immediately shushed each other. They froze in their positions, slowly watching the merc walk by. Not a peep was to be heard as V glared forward, walking through the next set of doors. 

Lizzie's Bar had gone silent as if everyone knew something had just happened. Something big, something terrible. The gang members watched V walk through the main dance room, afraid to say anything about her, or to her. 

V watched Mateo continuing to conduct an inventory count when she approached him. While he turned around to see who was walking up from behind, the mercenary grabbed the front of his shirt tightly into a fist, as if about to pick him up into the air. Her eyes flashed blue into his; She transferred 50 eddies. "There. Tell Judy I kept _my promise_ and that'er _next drink's on me_. That'll be more than enough to cover it," V said coldly. She released the man before thwacking his chest with her hand.

Stunned and shocked, Mateo remained in silence as he stepped back out of the merc's way, watching her exit.

The double doors slid open into the lobby that led out to the front entrance of the night club. Rita was leaning against the counter, blowing a giant bubble of pink bubble gum. As she saw V approach, she popped the bubble and caught the dangling leftover gum into her mouth, “Eeeyyy, _S.F.T.A_! How’d it go?” The mercenary ignored her as she walked past, exiting the club. “W-what…. _What’d I say_!?,” the pink-haired Mox stood baffled as the entrance doors closed.

As V walked to the middle of the parking lot, she took in a deep breath. She didn’t feel like she breathed at all since she had left Judy’s studio. She stopped walking, looked down at her feet in thought, trying to figure out her next move.

 **We don’t need Evelyn. This is a dead end n' a complete waste of time. You mentioned going to the Afterlife, right? For Rogue?** The rocker appeared next to V, lowering his glasses. _((Yeah, that’s right…))_ He squinted at the mercenary with a slight tilt to his head, _((You… uh… You good?))_

 **I’m fine. Let’s go. Don’t wanna be anywhere near here.** The rocker folded his arms, staring at the merc, _((...Y’know, Rogue won’t entertain anyone who isn’t on their A Game))._

V narrowed her eyes at the Rocker. **You suggestin’ I ain’t on my ‘A Game’?**

_((Not suggestin' shit. I’m telling you. It’s obvious that you aren’t. I can feel it and so can you))_ **You’re either with me, or you disappear. Got it? You don’t know shit about me.**

Silverhand chuckled to himself, stretching his back, _((Fine. Listen to me or don’t. Do whatever you want. Couldn't really care less))_ He walked over to a concrete bench and sat down while pulling out a cigarette _((Tell ya one thing though. You leave this parkin’ lot, you’ll regret it))_

He lit the cigarette and placed it in his mouth. The mercenary folded her arms as she glared at him. She let out a long, annoyed sign, **Okay - know what? _Go ahead._ Obviously, you wanna say something, so don't beat 'round the bush. Say it now 'cause I ain't got the patience to listen to your bitchin' in the cab, n' I don't feel like wastin' more blockers.**

The Rockstar grinned and took a drag from his cig. _((I've been down this path a time or two and it destroyed a lot of good things… Hurt a lot of good gals. You leave’n -- You might destroy somethin’ good, n' maybe even hurt'a good gal. You ready to do that?))_

V narrowed her eyes at the Rockstar. **I didn’t destroy _anything_. There was _nothing there_ to destroy.** The Rockstar glanced his eyes past the mercenary and smirked, _((Yeah... Sure. Say that to her))_ Then he vanished.

 **What the hell is h---** As the mercenary turned her head in the direction the Rockstar had last looked, she heard a voice.

_“Wait!”_

V looked over and saw Judy running toward her from the entrance of Lizzie's, “Judy?” 

The techie stopped in front of the merc, taking a moment to catch her breath. **D’she just run all the way here from her basement?** Judy lifted her hand up and rubbed her temples for a moment, “So… _That’s it_? Only reason you’re lookin’ for Evie is for answers?” 

V raised one of her eyebrows as she stared at the techie, “Er…Yeah. Just… Need some answers.” The tattoo covered woman pulled her hand down and placed it on her hip, “Let’s… say I _believe_ you… What’re tryin’ to find out?”

The mercenary brushed her hand through her hair and let out a sigh, “I… just needed to know who she was workin’ for. I know that someone hired her and I just needed to know who that someone was. That’s all.” Judy tapped her foot on the ground for a moment as she thought, studying the mercenary's face. “If you were worried that I was gonna lay a hand on her or somethin’… I wouldn't of done that... Wouldn’t even make sense to hurt her,” V said as she folded her arms, watching the techie.

Judy chewed her inner left cheek while thinking. She looked over toward cars driving down the street for a moment before looking back at V, “ _Fine_ … All right… Evie’s a doll. Used to work at Clouds.” V raised an eyebrow, “ _Clouds_ … That’s where they tailor-code things to your fetishes and whatnot, right?” Judy nodded, “Yeah. Client’s subconscious is the script – doll stars in it. No memory of it after, though, luckily. Thank Christ for that.” 

Judy reached into her pocket and pulled out a metal case. She stared at for a moment before lifting up toward V. “This is her cig case. It’s got the address. Take it, and once you find Evie, give it to her.”

V stared at the metal case in the techie’s outreached hand. She shook her head, “Sorry, but… I’ve already made other arrangements. Got someone else I can go to for help.” 

Judy slowly lowered her arm to her side as her shoulders slumped. She looked away, “V… I…” She sighed and shook her head, “I’m… I’m really sorry, okay?” 

She looked back at the merc, “I... didn’t mean to say a lot of the things I said back there. I…just - was afraid you wanted to hurt Evie.” The mercenary looked away, clenching her jaw, “Told you already. I’m not like other mercs.” 

Judy placed her hand on the back of her neck, nodding toward the ground, “Yeah… I know you aren’t... I’m just a fuckin’ gonk. And I’m sorry. Just… Really sorry. I-…” Her voice cracked as she continued to look at the ground, “I do... I do trust you, V. I do. I believe everything that you said downstairs… Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you, n' If I did, I’m sorry... God I feel like such a fuckin’ gonk.” Judy lifted the metal tin up again and stared at it quietly.

V watched Judy, not knowing what to say, not knowing what to think, and not knowing how to feel. The techie looked up at her and slowly nodded, “B-but uhm… Yeah… guess I understand. No means no. So, uhm… I’ll just head back. V, again, I’m sorry. I really am,” Judy took a couple of slow steps back before turning around, walking to the nightclub.

A warm current of energy began to spiral within the mercenary. A warmth that began to push back against the ice prison that she felt trapped in. She clenched her jaw as she watched the tattooed woman walk away. Then suddenly, V felt her pulse slowly return like her heart had started back up… just to feel it break.

**_You leave’n -- You might destroy somethin’ good, n' maybe even hurt'a good gal. You ready to do that?_ **

The mercenary immediately broke out into a sprint toward Judy. She passed the techie, sliding on the parking lot’s gravel as she turned to stop herself. When stabilized and regained her balance, she saw the tattooed woman look at her with startled eyes. The mercenary walked up and gripped onto the metal tin the techie was holding, “I’ll head there now. See if I can find her.”

Judy didn’t let go of the tin that V was tugging on. 

Instead, she stepped forward and slid her arms underneath the mercs, hugging her tight as she buried her face into V’s jacket. The mercenary’s eyes widened with shock as she stood with her arms up. She felt the ice around her shatter as the warmth of the woman holding her came bursting through. Blood coursed through the mercenary as her heartbeat began to feel strong and pickup pace. Feeling the powerful tha-thump tha-thump tha-thump made the merc smile. She started to feel alive again.

V gulped, lowering her arms and wrapped them around Judy, slowly hugging her back. She closed her eyes as she laid her cheek against Judy’s head, feeling her breath gently flow in and out.

“Thanks… _Thank you, V_ '' Judy muffled into the merc’s jacket. The merc squeezed a little tighter as she nodded against the techie’s head. “I’ll let you know what I find out, okay?” Judy didn't respond.

There was a moment of silence between them. 

V began to loosen her hold of the other woman, "Uhm… _Judy_? You okay?" She felt Judy's hands grip tighter on the back of her jacket, forbidding the mercenary to let go, pulling her back in. V felt a shockwave down her spine as her heart's rhythmic beat became even louder and stronger.

"I… can’t _believe_ this. Like it's just now hittin' me. I was really worried, V… really thought you were gone for good. I keep... listenin' to your heartbeat, tryin' to see if you're _really alive_. Tryin' to tell myself I haven’t gone crazy and that you're _actually_ here.”

The mercenary chuckled in response to the woman holding her. Judy pulled her head back and narrowed her eyes up at V, “Why are you _laughin’_?” A large grin spread across V’s lips, “’cause… listenin’ to my heartbeat isn’t gonna help you… look, I’m real sorry to tell you this, Judy… but…” V squinted her eyes and whispered, “… _You’re already crazy_.”

Judy playfully punched V in her stomach, “You… are _seriously_ a gonk.” She let go of the mercenary and took a step back with a smile on her face. V cocked her eyebrow and laughed, “Heh. Cute you thought that’d hurt me. Felt like a gust of wind just tickled me.”

The techie narrowed her eyes at the merc. Then, she proceeded to punch V again in the stomach, this time a more calculated shot, specifically targeting the mercenary’s solar plexus. V immediately doubled over and collapsed to the ground with the air knocked from her lungs. She rocked back and forth on her back, holding her stomach, “O-ok….I…. I felt… I felt that one.” She struggled to laugh as she attempted to catch her breath. Judy slowly shook her head as a small laugh escaped her lips. She tossed the cigarette case down on the mercenary’s stomach, “Here. Now go, ‘fore I call the girls over ‘n have them all punch you too for scarin’ me half t’death.” 

###### 

_*BEEP-BEEP*_

> **[Judy]:** You make it there okay?

V’s eyes widened as she heard Judy’s voice play through her ears as she read the techie’s message. **Okay… Bullet must’ve… done something to my implants, because somehow, I can now telepathically control my phone, have superhuman hearing, and now I’m hearing voices in my head—SHUT UP JOHNNY, DON’T MAKE A SMARTASS REMARK.**

> **[V]:** Yep  
>  **[Judy]:** Okay, great! Can you give me a call after?

  
The mercenary smiled to herself as she heard Judy’s voice again as she read the reply. **Okay, I admit. This is _preem._**

 _((You know the chances of finding this whore girl is close to zilch, Right?))_ Johnny was smoking, leaning against the entrance to the high-tech brothel, watching a holographic stripper roll her hips while slowly pulling down her thong, exposing herself. V immediately stopped smiling and closed her messages. She rolled her eyes toward the Rocker. **Your optimism is _utterly encouraging._**

As the entrance opened, the mercenary walked through the digitized engram. Johnny chuckled as he tossed his cigarette onto the ground and follow the merc inside. He removed his sunglasses and squinted while looking around as he followed behind V down a hallway. **Need to check somethin’ out real quick. Get the floorplan to this place so I know where t’go.** She stopped and leaned against the hallway’s wall, pulling up information through her optics.

As Johnny waited, he saw a vending machine that sat under a large “SEX TOYS” sign. He strolled over and peeked through the frosty glass. _((’Redwood ‘Peas n’ a Pod’. Anal beads. ‘The brand used professionally since 2034. Costs three eddies…))_

V glanced toward Silverhand before shaking her head, returning to her research.

 _((There’s a really big one here…Hot damn. It’s like, twenty inches long. ‘Captain PickHard’… Heh, how creative. Features lights and sound effects. Fourteen eddies. Oh, and then there’s one shaped like a sword. Fuck me, it’s even bigger. ‘Fight against Evil. PROTECTOR. It’s both funny and exciting’. Fourteen eddies))_

With a grin, Silverhand and walked back toward the mercenary. _((Could get one of them big ones. Use it on that feisty braindance chick. Would do her some good))_

V’s eyes grew wide with horror as she closed out of the data in her optics and stared at the Rockstar. **You’re _gross_. Stop thinkin’ about it, because you’re making me feel your _nasty ass’ thoughts._** He smirked and leaned against the wall opposite to V, pulling out another cigarette. _((Don’t get’chur panties wadded in a bunch. All I’m sayin’ is she probably wouldn’t be such’a cunt if she got a good fuckin’))_

The merc immediately glared and pointed her finger toward Silverhand, **Don’t call her that, ya’ _shit rag._** She pushed herself off of the wall and continued down the hallway. Johnny crossed his arms and looked away _((God damn, your hormones are so jacked. Makes you fuckin’ sensitive. I hate feelin’ this shit... Don’t know why that bothered you. I basically said you should go lay her. Sheesh. Tryin’ to “_ encourage _” you))_ He then vanished.

The mercenary shook her head as she continued down the hallway, flicking her conversation with Judy back across her optics.

> **[V]:** Yeah, give you a ring. Promise.
> 
> Btw had to stare at this giant vending machine that sold a buncha dildos
> 
> There was one the size of my leg in there
> 
> And… I’m just… so confused… Don’t even know how that would… work?
> 
> **[Judy]:** If you’d like I could show you some BDs that’ll help…
> 
> Unconfuse you… ;)
> 
> **[V]:** Think… I’ll pass on that tyvm
> 
> Got enough scars. Don’t need more… haha
> 
> **[Judy]:** Offer still stands in case you see anything else there that you’re… curious about ;) 

  
As the mercenary reached the end of the hall, she made a right and entered a dim room. There was a large wrap around desk, glowing a soft pink with strips of white neon lights running along the top and bottom. On the walls were large posters of models, celebrities of NC, and a large red neon heart with the cursive word ‘Love’ written in the center. Standing behind the desk was a receptionist who had a very distinct style.

She had dark navy-blue hair styled in an odango with bangs that reached eyebrows of the same color. Her eyes were the color of a midwinter sky and her milky white skin had several dark freckles clustered over the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Her lips wore a metallic lipstick with a strip of gold running down the middle.

The receptionist wore a skintight blue sheath dress that complemented her hair and eyes. Running down the front of the dress was a hexagonal pattern of gold and dark purple. A thick gold chain necklace with a Ring-of-O hung past her collarbone and large golden hoops hung from her ears.

Her arms were a canvas of _Irezumi_ stylized tattoos. An orange koi fish with blue eyes on her right shoulder, a green and blue koi fish on her other. Sakura flowers of different hues of reds, pinks, and purples flitted over black and grey waves dancing in the background.

Suddenly the mercenary’s optics began to glitch with static as a warning flashed across _[WARNING: SCAN UNAUTHORIZED]_

“Welcome to Clouds. Where we know what you're looking for. Would you care to jack into the terminal?”

The mercenary took a step back. **What the hell – she just scan me? N’ she expects me to just jack in? That isn’t secure. I could get hit with malware straight to my core – end up payin’ an arm and a leg for a ripperdoc.**

_((Braindance chick is hidin’ somethin’. No coincidence we already saw two Tyger Claws when we came in. They must control the building. And I’m pretty sure this chick is a Claw too.))_

**You think Judy’s lyin’? Why?**

_((Little something called intuition, V. Ever heard of it?))_

**Oh, so what you meant to say is that you’re full of shit. Got it.**

V stepped up to the counter and politely smiled at the receptionist, “Lookin’ for an Evelyn Parker. She work here?” “Hmm… Give me a moment…” the blue-eyed woman said. She briefly typed on her keyboard before frowning, “Evelyn's not available at this time.”

The mercenary tapped her hand on the counter, “Need to see her. It's important.” The receptionist stopped typing and looked over her monitor at the merc, “The algorithm knows best. _Trust me_ , it will choose a doll that will thrill you. Our dolls can change their hair and eye color in real time to look just as you wish.”

V raised an eyebrow as she continued tapping on the counter, “I'm not a customer.” The woman motioned her hand toward the terminal on the counter, “All you need do is jack in. We'll just create your personal profile and you'll be good to go.”

Silverhand appeared behind the Receptionist with his arms folded, _((I'm sorry, she finally say anything useful? Fuck the menu. Let's ditch this waitress and take our special order to the chef, point-blank. Go in as a customer, keep a low profile. They wanna keep their cards close? Fine. We'll play our own game))_ V gave a small nod toward the Rockstar, pulling her neuralink from her left wrist, connecting it to the terminal.

The woman nodded as she watched V connect, “This will be a live session, so events may take an... _unexpected turn_ … But don't quit if you feel uncomfortable - you could miss out on something _truly remarkable_. If you feel unready to handle what comes next, you can interrupt the session immediately.”

V nodded, “All right, let's do this.”

The receptionist gave a soft smile before returning to her computer. She continued typing while looking at her screen, “Now bear with me a moment… Scanning your personal profile. You should see compatible dolls in just a second…. Aaannnnddd… _Two matches_? Hhmm… Interesting.”

The Rockstar let out a sarcastic laugh, _((Only two willin' to spread their legs for you? Sad))_

V glared at him, **Go eat a dick, Johnny.**

###### 

_”You’re dying. Deep inside… you fear this, cower before it”_

###### 

She slid the VIP Access Card - a card she removed from a Tyger gangoon she had knocked out and stuffed into a bathroom stall - into her back pocket as she headed upstairs to the restricted section of the brothel. The conversation she had with Skye, the doll that the Clouds’ algorithm assigned to the merc, was replaying in her head. Though she didn't know what to really expect when she entered the brothel, it definitely wasn't that.

_((Y'know, dunno what’s sadder. The fact you had to pay a robohooker to get your rocks off… or the fact that the robohooker ended up giving you’a therapy sesh instead))_

She narrowed her eyes at the Rocker who was climbing up the stairs with her. **Gonna… just choose not to respond to that.**

_((Technically, that was a response))_

She growled with annoyance under her breath as she continued up the stairs. When she reached the top, she scouted the room - there was a large round bar with a Tyger bartender behind it, two guards, a security camera, and four customers - two who were watching braindances.

###### 

_“Come to terms with the fact that you died once already only to face another kind of death”_

###### 

The mercenary quick-hacked into the security camera, disabling its live feed and pinged the system to locate the direction of its control center. It would most likely lead the merc to a security room. One of the best places to find out information, other than beating it out of a live person.

###### 

_“Fear of death is what drives us all to do what we do. You're scared because you've given up on your dreams. Instead of a dream, you're living a nightmare. You're afraid of being erased, as if you never existed. Or is it just the fear of becoming someone else, different? ”_

###### 

She let out a sigh as she walked through the VIP room with Silverhand trailing behind. **I’m afraid of dying… _again_. N' yeah, I gave up my dream of becoming a _Night City Legend_ \- it doesn't mean anything to me anymore. No value behind it.**

 _((Think that's somethin' we both agree on. Being a ‘_ Legend _’ is bullshit corpo fodder to keep the mice fightin’ each other. So what if you’re good at killin’ people or can listen to a Fixer's orders real well? Woooo-fricken-whooo))_ The Rockstar spun his finger in the air sarcastically.

 **I don't think what scares me is being erased and no one remembering me. Think that's how I felt… y'know, _before all this_. N' I don't think I'm afraid of becoming ' _different_ ' either. People change everyday… I dunno. Maybe I'm afraid that I'll disappear and never get the chance to… _live_? That if I'm gone, no one would really… _care._** V felt an ache in her heart at the thought.

 _((Guess it boils down to what you believe "living" is? What does it mean to you?))_ she furrowed her eyebrows as the two walked. She didn't have any answer because she didn't have any idea. She had never thought about it before - she never needed to think about it before.

The two walked up to a door that was labeled [DO NOT ENTER]. They stared at it for a moment.

_((Gonna enter?))_

**A'yup.**

###### 

_“You've never backed down from anything in your life, even when you maybe should've. In this city, people die on their way to the corner store for a scop-pop. But that threat never stopped you. And it won't stop you now. You dive into the middle of it all. Always have. You’ve never backed down from anything, so don’t stop now… Not one step backwards”_

###### 

V checked to see where the three Tyger Claws were. One had his back facing the merc as he watched a television screen, the other was continuing his patrol by heading back downstairs, and the bartender was focusing on cleaning glasses. She shrugged her shoulders and proceeded through the door. **Whelp, that was _easy_. Y’know, for such a _high-tech club_ , their security system’s a _joke._**

They entered an area that looked like a dressing room. **Looks like some personals are in here... might find somethin' of Ev's. Help me look around.** The two were the only ones in the room as they searched.

 _((V, here. On the floor. Name’s on the tag))_ the mercenary walked over to Silverhand who was pointing down at something on the floor. **That's her coat.** V bent over and picked it up, brushing it off. **Odd that she'd just… throw it on the floor. This thing's expensive.** The Rocker shrugged toward the merc.

###### 

_“Evelyn had her own story before it collided with yours. But I know you'll find her. You always get your way.”_

###### 

After the two finished looking in the dressing room, they exited and headed to check the next room nearby. It was the employee locker room. They browsed around until V saw a locker labeled [E.Parker]. Inside of the locker was the doll's purse. **She left her purse here? That's _really_ … odd. **

_((Maybe she's got two? Seems like most chicks have more than one… do you have more than one?))_

V shook her head, **I don't own any purses... And all her shit's still in this one... It's like she left in a hurry. Something isn't right here.**

The two left the room and adjacent to them was the security room. Johnny headed in first, warning the mercenary that a guard was at the desk eating Buck-A-Slice. V crouched, sneaking up behind the guard, locking him into a sleeper hold. She hid the unconscious body underneath the desk.

###### 

_“How can you change what has already happened?”_

###### 

V hacked into the terminal and disabled the rest of the security systems while also giving herself security clearance to unlock any door within the brothel. On one of the laptops, she and Johnny read files and logs that contained information regarding an incident that had occurred several days ago. An external netrunner hacked into the brothels network, targeting a doll and frying their dollchip.

Then they observed a recorded video from the doll who had been attacked; Evelyn Parker. They watched her begin a session with a client. The man had been talking to her, guiding the doll to a bed. Suddenly, Evelyn began violently convulsing on the floor, screaming in agony. Even when V and Johnny thought it was over, the doll would begin convulsing and screaming again as if she was being tortured. _Oh fuck_ … they both thought as they observed the rest of the video in horror.

###### 

_"You have been keeping up. You've made an impact. Not a single thing in this world isn't in the process of becoming something else. Likewise - you... The truth is, we and our paths are braided, never-ending, ever transforming, not being - but becoming. And what’s happening inside you… It could change the world. Listen V. Never look back.”_

###### 

The mercenary no longer felt the urge to find out what had gone wrong in the heist. She didn't feel like she needed to find Evelyn anymore to ask why the doll's intel was incorrect or why she hadn't warned them. It wouldn’t change anything. That was in the past. That was looking back.

V's intuition screamed one thing and one thing only - _Save Evelyn from wherever she is, figure out who attacked her, and hunt them down. You may or may not be rewarded for your actions, but it’s the right thing to do._

The two exited the security room -- only one room was left. It looked like an office, and sitting at the desk was a bald man eating a sandwich. Before she opened the office door to confront the man, V and Johnny looked at each other for a moment and nodded.

**_Nothing's_ gonna stop me from saving Evelyn. Not a _netrunner_. Not a _brothel_. Not an _unending string of clues._  
And I have people that I can lean on for support. An _unbelievably assholish digitized rocker-terrorist._ And….**

###### 

> **[Judy]:** V... You called, heh.
> 
> **[V]:** Promised I'd call, didn't I?
> 
> **[Judy]:** Promisin’s one thing… Keepin' it's a whole other bag. So, manage to learn anything?
> 
> **[V]:** Evelyn's not at Clouds anymore. From what I found, it looks like she was targeted by a netrunner. They fried her behavioral chip. 'pparently the manager tried gettin' her fixed but nothing worked, so they carted her off to a ripperdoc in JigJig. Goes by ‘Fingers.’
> 
> **[Judy]:** Oooh s-shit...
> 
> **[V]:** Know where to find this ‘Fingers’ character?
> 
> **[Judy]:** Uhm... Y-yeah. He’s got a dinky chop shop near the end of JigJig... Fuck, V. This guy’s all kinds of bad news.
> 
> **[V]:** Don’t worry Judy. I’m headin’ there now. To find her.

###### 

> _“ **The Chariot** \- Always charge ahead even if pulled in opposite directions. As the rider, you will rein in the light and dark sides of the soul with the help of Reason. To ride in The Chariot is to experience highs and lows – ups and downs. Overcome conflicts and move forward in a positive direction. One needs to keep going on and through sheer hard work and commitment, then will they be victorious.”_

###### 

  



	4. Chapter Two: "Automatic Love" (Judy's Perspective)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: It's here!! Sorry this one took a while... but I hope the wait was worth it!
> 
> I hope you enjoy Chapter 2.J!

# Chapter 2: "Automatic Love" (Judys's Perspective)

###### 

> _**Upright 5 of Cups:** Your mind will try to shield you with a fog of confusion, anger, and fear – do not let those emotions steer you. Your heart is your beacon of hope that you must trust and follow. Though you have much to mourn over right now, listen to your heart and understand that not all is lost."_

###### 

"Sooooooo… you two stuffit yet?"

It was only a few minutes after 10PM and Lizzie's Bar was packed. The music was loud, the drinks were flowin', and best of all, the braindances were back to their top-notch quality all thanks to a recent upswing Night City's most brilliant braindance editor had been riding for the past few days.

Judy's eyes widened as she quickly covered her mouth, almost choking on her drink, The Braindance. A mixture of vodka and citrus juices – _tangy and sweet_. "W-w… What!?" the techie blurted out as she coughed, trying to clear some of her drink from her windpipe.

"I asked… if you two…. had _stuffed_ yet?! _Docked_?!" the purple-haired Mox asked, her eyes gleaming as she leaned her face extremely close to Judy's. The tattooed Mox slowly leaned away, taking another sip from her drink, avoiding having to provide a response.

"Jeez, dude, she's only known the gal for like, a couple of days," Rita chuckled as she grabbed Candy's shoulders, pulling the nosey Mox from the techie's personal bubble. "Yeah, but… that's plenty'a time! Like, ya'll could'a done it, like…" the purple-haired Moxer began counting on her fingers, quickly using up one hand and moving to the other, "… like… at least like thirty times by now."

Rita's eyes widened, "Thirty!? Girl, she _LITERALLY_ met her four days ago!" Candy narrowed her eyes, turning her head toward the pink-haired bouncer, " _What_? Is that considered a lot to you?"

Judy laughed as she sat her drink down on the bar counter, "Rita – realize who you're talking to. Candy could get an input one morning, fuck 'em at least _fifty_ times, then dump 'em before movin' onto the next schlub… all on the _same day_. So, yeah, I don't think thirty is a lot… for her. Especially over a course of four days."

Candy's jaw dropped as she quickly looked at Judy in horror, "T-That…. That was _ONE_ time!" Rita gently pat the top of the purple-haired Mox's head as she took a sip of her No Save Point IPA. "But seriously… Is that, like, _a lot_?" Candy asked, scrunching her nose in confusion. Rita gave a slight shrug, "Well I mean, in this line of work… average maybe? Yeah, probably average for y'all. But definitely not average for me n' Judes. I get some like… I dunno. Once or twice a day?" Candy's eyes widened.

"But, in all seriousness, Jude," the bouncer suddenly asked, playfully fluttering her lashes at the techie, " _You two gotten' nasty yet_?"

"Oh my God, Rita. You too!?" Judy laughed while shaking her head, "Why can't you guys leave me alone?!" Rita and Candy both pouted while staring at the techie, holding their puppy-dog paws under their chins, eyes welling up with the desire to know about Judy's sex life. The tattooed Mox rolled her eyes with an exaggerated sigh, "… _No_. Look, I only talked to her that one night. N' you guys know that I don't just… do _that_ with anyone. That's _output_ stuff... It's _special_... I mean, yeah, I'd like to get to know her better, but we've both just been… _too busy_."

Rita narrowed her eyes, "Judes, when's the last time you _docked_?" Judy clenched her jaw before reaching for her drink. "Oh my God, _no_. Judy, _seriously_ , how long?!" The techie froze before she could reach her drink, "… Like…" she mumbled as she grabbed her glass and took a sip. "What?" both Moxers asked, leaning in closer to the techie. Judy mumbled under her breath again before looking away.

Both Moxer's performed an in unison, over-dramatic gasp, " **OVER A _YEAR_**?!" Candy ungracefully fell from her barstool as Rita's jaw dropped. "Guys?! You _gonks_ \- way t'make me feel _terrible_ about it," Judy said as she placed her hands over her eyes.

Candy immediately stood up, "Gimme'er digits so I can holo her _gonkass_. Tell'er there's a sexy babe gettin' drunk at Lizzie's who's all hot n' bothered for her," she demanded while leaning closer, holding her palm up toward the techie, "Pffft. ' _Too busy_ '. Puh-lease. Nuh-uh sweetheart. Ain't no one ' _too busy_ ' to leave a lady like you waitin'."

Again, Judy leaned away from the purple-haired Mox with a small, uncomfortable laugh, "Woah, relax there, _puss-patrol_ … Look, I think we sorta… _have a date_ … planned?" The techie looked away from her friends as her cheeks blushed. "The hell? Whaddya mean ' _think_ ' you have a date?" Rita asked, her eyes narrow. Judy scratched the back of her neck, "Erm… Uh, well, I mean we didn't _exactly set a date_ or anything. N'… it wasn't through holo. We flicked messages."

Candy still had her palm extended toward Judy, "The _phone_. Now _please_. 'fore I jump on this bar and start tellin' _everyone_ in this joint that you're single n' ready to mingle. I'm sure _all these fine people_ here wouldn't mind gettin' _close n' personal_ with the famous BD editor." Rita continued to narrow her eyes as she took another sip from her beer, "How… do you _not know_ if you have… a date with someone?"

Judy rolled her eyes as she pulled out her phone, searching for her conversation with the mercenary, "You're such a brat, _Cand's_. Just… Please **_DON'T_** message her, okay!?" the techie pleaded as she handed the purple-haired Mox her phone. Rita peeked over Candy's shoulder as the bratty Mox playfully mimicked Judy's request in a mocking tone and snatched the techie's phone away. The two began reading the text exchange:

> **[Judy]:** Hey, V?
> 
> Just wanted to wish you luck. All of you guys, really.
> 
> You're probably busy with everything and all... Haven't heard a peep from you since you left Lizzie's.
> 
> … Not sure if that's something you normally do? Buy a chica a few drinks and then ghost on them? ;)
> 
> But… Y'know… yeah. Hope you get this message.
> 
> **[V]:** Judy!
> 
> So, so sorry! Been super busy with prep work
> 
> But we're finally good to go tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for us, yeah?
> 
> AND NOOOOOOO I DIDN'T GHOST YOU! OMG! Please don't think that!
> 
> **[Judy]:** Mhmmm…
> 
> **[V]:** OMG Judy, NO! I haven't. Seriously.
> 
> I'm super sorry. For real!
> 
> I've really wanted to reach out. Things have just been crazy here.
> 
> And… Uh… I sorta, got… nervous?
> 
> **[Judy]:** Heh… Nervous? Why nervous?
> 
> **[V]:** …I dunno?
> 
> **[Judy]:** You're telling me the big-scary-mercenary is afraid of lil' ol' me?
> 
> **[V]:** not afraid. all I do is think about u. cant stop talking about u. always looking at my fone… I am crazy 4 u mi amor 3
> 
> **[Judy]:** … What?
> 
> Hello? V?
> 
> YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN NOT RESPOND!?
> 
> **[V]:** HOLY SHIT JUDY OMFG JACKIE TOOK MY PHONE
> 
> Omg please just ignore that GONK swear if I didn't need him tomorrow I'd break all his fingers.
> 
> **[Judy]:** …
> 
> I'm laughing so hard right now
> 
> **[V]:** -_-;
> 
> **[Judy]:** Anyway… Before this gets even more awkward… :P
> 
> Just wanted to send you good vibes. Hopefully you'll make it back and stop by the bar for another drink?
> 
> **[V]:** Of course! It'd be fun to have another drink
> 
> … Unless it's by myself. Then that's not so much fun.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Hah! You wouldn't be alone. I promise to accompany so you don't look all pathetic again ;)
> 
> **[V]:** ha ha haaaa… And I promise to unnecessarily buy you another round ;]

Rita and Candy slowly narrowed their eyes as they looked over at Judy, who was attempting to ignore their judgmental gawking as she sipped her drink.

"First, you two are… kinda _cute_? Like, in a gross, cheesy n' repulsive sorta way," Rita chuckled as the purple-haired Mox returned the phone to its rightful owner. " _Shut up_ ," Judy murmured as she grabbed her phone back. "So, that convo was yesterday... She said she was preppin' to do something today? 'suming it wasn't somethin' to do with you since she ain't here. Where is she? I still can't believe she hasn't been back yet," the purple-haired Mox asked as she pulled out a pack of 'Fields of Green' strawberry flavored cigarettes from her rear pocket.

Judy shifted in her seat as she finished off her drink, "Uhmm… I dunno? You saw the convo – she didn't say and I didn't ask," The techie gave a small shrug to the two girls, hoping her friends wouldn't ask further questions about the true nature of the mercenary's absence, "I'm hoping to hear from her tomorrow, if not tonight." Rita narrowed her eyes, " _Mmmhhmmm_ …" She then looked down at Candy's cigarette pack, "Mind if a bum a cig?" The purple-haired Mox nodded and handed the bouncer the pack.

"Okay. Second, her name is _V_? Is that, like, short for somethin'? Or… is that just how you saved her name in your phone because you two _love-birds_ already have some… _cute n' gross inside joke_ already established?" Rita asked, raising her eyebrow. "Uhmm… I… Uh… I don't know, actually. She introduced herself as 'V' and that was that. Didn't even think about if that was her actual name or not… huh, now I'm curious…" the techie said as she scratched her right temple.

Candy snorted, " _Heh_ … prob'ly didn't ask her cause you were too busy _day dreamin' about how you want'er to ravish your body_." The purple-haired Mox giggled and fist-bumped the bouncer as Judy rolled her eyes. "Well, I still prefer ' _S.F.T.A_ '," Rita lightheartedly chimed in. "Yeah, same," Candy responded as she lit both of their cigarettes.

" _S.F.T.A_?..." Judy asked, slowly squinting her eyes at both women.

Candy giggled as she took her first puff and blew out pink smoke, "Yeah. ' _Sweet Face, Tight Ass_ '. It's what we all call her." The techie's face immediately flushed red, "W-what?! ' _We all_ '? Who's ' ** _We All_** '?!" Rita and Candy laughed, "Uh… Everyone. Literally, _everyone_ calls her 'S.F.T.A' now." Judy's jaw dropped, "W-when…. When did this happen?!"

"Uh, pretty much right after she left and your head was up on cloud nine. Candy ran outside 'n told us about how she played match maker with you n' S.F.T.A… Then, well, y'know how word spreads 'round here. So, yeah. She's S.F.T.A."

Judy clenched her jaw as she stared at Candy, "Is that why someone carved… ' _SFTA+JA4EVAR_ ' in the girl's room?" The purple-haired Mox gave a half-hearted shrug as she averted her eyes from the techie's accusing glare.

" _Judy_ ," a stern voice came from behind the three Moxer's, "Can we go somewhere private?"

The techie spun her barstool around, "Evie? Oh hey, when'd you get here? Everythin' okay?" Evelyn gave a small nod toward the techie before giving a Pan-Am smile to the other two women, "Excuse me, ladies. I hope you don't mind if I borrow your braindance geek. I need to steal her for a bit." The two smoking Moxer's nodded and gave the techie a quick wave goodbye.

###### 

"Ev, seriously. You're starting to make me nervous. Why won't you answer me? What's going on?"

Evelyn quickly walked into the braindance editor's studio as Judy jogged behind, trying to keep pace. The blue-haired woman folded her arms, "Turn on your TV and tune it to N-54." The techie's eyebrows furrowed as her eyes lit blue, flicking one of her TV monitors on.

_"-just now tuning in, I am Gillean Jordan, bringing you breaking coverage from N-54 News. We have been informed that there is currently an ongoing situation occurring at Konpeki Plaza."_

"…Oh shit," Judy quickly looked at Evelyn who began pulling out a cigarette from her purse. "Ev – please tell me you've heard from them. Did they make it out?" The blue-haired woman shook her head as she lit her cigarette, "I'm not sure." Both women looked back toward the screen.

_"I have arrived on site with cameraman Chip. We are just beginning to cover this story, so please stay tuned for live updates. We are working with our sources to try and figure out what exactly is happening here… Again, this is Gillean Jordan with N-54 News bringing you breaking news coming from Konpeki Plaza."_

The blonde-haired news woman approached the luxury hotel as far as she could; red and yellow digital NCPD [DO NOT CROSS] banners lit up the front entrance as officers urged onlookers to stay back. The woman returned her eyes back to the camera.

_"So far, we haven't been told anything other than the hotel was placed on lockdown – From what we can assess outside here, the building has been surrounded by Emperor 720 NCPD Ironclad vehicles. There are also currently NCPD aerodynes circling above. Again, we are not entirely sure what's going on at this luxury hotel, but nothing like this has ever happened before."_

Judy chewed her inner left cheek nervously, "What do you think is going on?"

Evelyn took in a long drag from her cigarette, "Don't know… Haven't heard anything from anyone. No one's contacted me... Can't even get ahold of Dex. Maybe this isn't related to them? Maybe they've already gotten out and Yori's sounded the alarm because he's lookin' for the biochip…," the blue-haired woman gestured toward the techie's pants, "Have you checked your phone to see if anyone might've messaged you?"

Judy quickly grabbed her phone from her pocket, looking to see if she had received any updates. She let out a frustrated sigh, "No, nothin' new." Evelyn slowly nodded, "Look, we don't have any information right now, so let's not let our minds wander too far." Judy nodded as she gripped tightly onto her phone.

_"This just in – we have an update. NCPD officers have begun entering the hotel. From what I understand, they are going in to assess the situation inside and begin evacuations. Again, this is Gillean Jordan at N-54 News bringing you live updates to the Konpeki Plaza situation."_

Both women snapped their attention back toward the screen.

_"Okay, it looks… It looks like people are now being escorted from the building… Hotel staff and guests are coming out. Hundreds of them from the looks. NCPD are guiding them out... People seem… confused? Let's see if we can talk to someone. Maybe they can tell us what's happening on the inside."_

The news anchor motioned for the cameraman to follow as they walked the perimeter of the NCPD banners, attempting to get near the evacuees.

_"Ex-excuse me. Miss. Miss excuse me – Gillean Jordan, N-54 News. Can you tell us what's happening here? … You aren't sure? … They haven't said anything? O-okay, thank you. Sir. Excuse me S-"_

Unexpectedly, an ear-splitting explosion echoed within the hotel followed by several rapid rounds of gun fire. The news anchor quickly covered her head and ducked as mass panic began to ripple through the crowd. People began screaming and fleeing from the hotel, pushing and pulling on each other, trying to ensure their own individual safety. Some people were knocked down and trampled over as they were cast to the side by the herd of frightened people.

The cameraman attempted to assist the news anchor while also capturing most of the event. He panned the camera toward an NCPD officer who was on his radio, sprinting toward the entrance while signaling for the rest of his troops to follow, _"Shots fired! – I repeat, multiple shots have been fired! Sir? Understood – Let's go boys! SHOOT TO KILL AUTHORIZED!"_ A swarm of armed NCPD officers began flooding toward the hotel entrance.

_"O-oh my God. T-this just in... A-an e-explosion of some sort has occurred in the hotel. Again, w-we just heard a very loud explosion and several gunshots have been fired. Armed NCPD officers have stormed the building with Level B2B clearance, or commonly known as 'Shoot to Kill' authorized orders. Again, this is Gilliean Jordan, N-"_

Another wave of deafening gunfire crackled through the air. Mass panic quickly became chaos as more people screamed and cried as they attempted to push others out of their way.

A running woman slammed into the news anchor, _"Oh-Owww! Shit! O-oh okay—h-hold on, p-people are running – there's now mass panic. Jesus Christ, Chip, CHIP! We need to move, we need to move, now!"_ The camera panned toward the ground as it captured pairs of fleeting feet. Then, another piercing explosion sounded.

The camera cut out and the screen switched to the N-54 logo rotating with a [STAY TUNED] message scrolling across the center of the screen.

An abrupt sound chimed from Evelyn's purse that quickly caught the two women's attention – a phone was ringing. The blue-haired woman made brief eye contact with the techie before she quickly pulled her phone from her purse. Her eyes flashed blue:

> **[Evelyn]:** V?! Konpeki's all over the feeds! What the fuck's going on there?
> 
> **[V]:** Got a problem! Cryocase's damaged. Biochip's integrity at… Jackie?... Eighty-six percent and droppin'!
> 
> **[Evelyn]:** Shit…! Okay, listen to me. There's only one thing you can do. One of you's gotta slot the Relic into your neural port!
> 
> **[V]:** What the hell are you talkin' about?
> 
> **[Evelyn]:** The Relic can't be isolated - it has to be nested in a safe environment!

A brief moment of silence…

> **[V]:** Jackie…? You Okay?
> 
> **[Evelyn]:** Once you're back, we'll take out the Relic and run a full brain scan and sweep. But you two need to get the fuck out of there first!
> 
> **[V]:** We're workin' on it!

The blue from Evelyn's eyes quickly diminished as she looked at Judy. "Evie, was that V?! Is she okay!?" an alarmed Judy asked as she stepped closer to her friend. The blue-haired woman nodded as she placed a gentle hand on the techie's shoulder – the tattooed Mox was trembling. "Yes Jude, that was her and someone named ' _Jackie_ '. They're alive, they have the biochip… but the case that the chip was in got damaged so that's why she called. It sounds like they're okay and are working on getting themselves out safely…" Evelyn watched Judy, hoping her words would calm her friend.

Judy nodded as she looked down – her hands continued to cling onto her phone.

The screen flashed back to live feed, startling both women as they returned to watch the events unfold.

The news anchor, who originally was very well manicured, looked a bit different. Her hair was ruffled and her lipstick had been slightly smeared. She sounded out of breath, _"H-hello all. We have a new update. Uhm-Multiple bodies have been found. Again, multiple bodies inside and several more wounded. At this time no one has been identi-Oh my gosh, look! O-okay, it looks like Max-Tac has now arrived. Folks, this is now very serious. Again, I am Gilliean Jordan, N-54 News bringing you live upda-"_

Windows began to shatter throughout the building's exterior as a waterfall of stray bullets glass shards began raining down on the crowd.

 _"Oh my god! COVER! C-Chip find us cover!"_ The camera violently shook as the news anchor and cameraman ran from the bullets and flying pieces of shrapnel, attempting to find cover. _"T-the van! Get behind the van!"_ The camera suddenly dropped to the ground, causing the screen to flicker for a moment.

The screen was crooked, as if the camera had fallen on its side. On the top of the screen was part of the N-54 news vehicle with a man leaning his back against it. He began slowly sliding down to sit on the ground as a streak of blood was drawn on the vehicle behind him. _"C-Chip, you okay? Chip, hey, lo-oh my God Chip your side, there's blood. Chip? C-chip! Ple-"_

The camera cut out and the screen switched to the N-54 logo rotating with a [STAY TUNED] message scrolling across the center of the screen.

Judy continued to stare in terror at the screen as her hand covered her mouth. Evelyn was pacing back and forth behind her while nervously puffing on her cigarette, "They'll be fine… They're professionals… They'll make it out…" the blue-haired woman mumbled to herself as she continued pacing.

Several minutes passed without a word being said. The techie continued watching the rotating news logo and the aspiring-actress continued chain smoking through several cigarettes.

The news station returned to its live feed. _"Good evening. This is Gillean Jordan, N-54 News."_ The news anchor seemed calm. Her makeup and hair had been refreshened.

_"I am on site with camerawoman Bridgette. We have a very unfortunate update on the Konpeki Plaza situation… A body has been identified at the top of Konpeki, in a suite… The… The Emperor – whose birthday was today… Turned 158 years old – Saburo Arasaka, is dead. You heard right… S-saburo Arasaka, at age 158, has been killed."_

Only a select few in Night City knew of Yorinobu Arasaka's true intentions of visiting; Sell the stolen Relic to NetWatch, and kill Saburo Arasaka. Evelyn Park happened to be one of the few.

She immediately stopped pacing and stared at the screen as her jaw dropped and her eyebrows scrunched, "Saburo? Why the fuck was Saburo… there? Did… Jesus Christ, they actually did it. They killed him. Tonight, out of all fucking nights… and at Konpeki…"

Judy couldn't hear as Evelyn spoke – her ears were ringing as she stared at the screen.

_"It is to be believed that this attack was specifically related to Saburo Arasaka. Currently, there is a body count of 13 people. Several more are injured. We have seen multiple NCPD and MaxTac personnel evacuated from the front door on stretchers. We have also been informed that there are a total of three assailants responsible for this heinous murder – Two gunmen who we believe are cyberpsychos, and one netrunner. Arasaka cybersecurity has informed us that they've located an assailant and are enroute to the traced location. We have deployed an N-54 News drone to follow. We will pan over to them now. Bridgette, please go ahead and switch over."_

The News Channel went black momentarily before switching to the drone's point of view. The screen showed the hallway of what looked like an apartment building. Standing in front of a maroon door were three NCPD officers, two Max-Tac agents, and an Arasaka netrunner. _"Shoot to kill authorized. Breeching in 3… 2… GO!"_ The netrunner disabled an access panel and one of the NCPD officers kicked the door in, allowing the other agents to storm in with their weapons drawn, _"NCPD, HANDS IN FUCKIN' THE AIR!"_

Silence hung stale in the air as the drone continued to hover in the hallway. After a bit of time, the drone slowly floated its way toward the kicked in door. A Max-Tac agent began to exit while dragging something out, _"Threat was eliminated. Target was already neutralized."_ As the drone began to capture what was being dragged out, the screen cut to black as audio continued to come through.

_"Oh Jesus... I-I'm not sure what I'm even looking at here… Ladies and gentlemen - I believe… It's a body … A human body, I believe. Their skin looks… almost completely fried off. The face completely distorted… Eyes melted from their sockets… O-oh my God… I cannot tell if they're male or female because of the damage… I ha-Hold on. What's that? Oh—Okay. Uhm, it seems that we have a positive ID. The body is of a local underground netrunner who went by the alias 'T-Bug'."_

The live-feed turned back on to the news anchor. She cleared her throat, taking a moment to herself. Her eyes were closed as she shook her head, trying to erase the image that had been burnt into her memory, _"Good evening all. Gillean Jordan, N-54 News with a Konpeki Plaza situation update. There are three assailants, two believed to be psyberpsychos and one netrunner. It has been confirmed that the netrunner, known alias 'T-Bug' has been neutralized. Her body has been taken by NCPD for proce-"_

A sound of skidding tires, screeching brakes, and mangled metal ruptured behind the news-woman. She quickly spun around as the camera captured a black vehicle exploding through Konpeki Plaza's garage doors. More gunfire and was heard within the garage as the vehicle peeled its wheels, attempting to gain traction on the road beneath it.

Flash bang grenades were thrown from the vehicle, instantly detonating and turning the scene bright white.

A rain of bullets could be heard ricocheting from the exterior of the vehicle alongside a sudden roaring crash with metal crunching. _"Holy shit, is that Adam Smasher!?"_ the news woman shouted. _"Combat Mode: Initiated"_ a robotic voice announced with the sound of an accelerating engine. The vehicle approached quickly and then began to fade as it sped away. Several sirens from Max-Tac and NCPD vehicles approached and then faded in pursuit.

The camera cut out and the screen switched to the N-54 logo rotating with a [STAY TUNED] message scrolling across the center of the screen.

Evelyn quickly looked at Judy with wide eyes, "Judy? Jude! I-… I think that was them! There were two people in the back but I couldn't really make out who they were before everything went white. I mean, who else would the pigs be chasing!?"

Judy couldn't pry her eyes from the screen as she held her hand over her mouth. **Please, please, please be okay. Please…** she repeated silently to herself. She didn't notice her other hand had gone completely numb as it continued to clutch her phone.

If felt as if an eternity went by as they both stared at the screen.

"Should… Should we try WNS? May—" "No," the tattooed Mox grimly whispered, "… keep it on this channel." Evelyn pulled out another cigarette as they waited. She looked at her metal cigarette case before holding it our toward her friend, "Do you wan-"

The live feed flicked back on.

 _"Hello all. Gillean Jordan, N-54 News with an update from the Konpeki Tower situation. We've been informed that the two gunmen have escaped in a black vehicle. It is believed that it was a Delamain taxi. NCPD and Max-tac are currently attempting to relocate the vehicle. Until then, we have a few messages from our sponsors…"_ The news channel took a commercial hiatus.

"O-oh… Oh t-thank _Christ_ ," Judy's breath shook as she exhaled with relief. Her exhausted eyes closed.

" _Hot… damn…_ Those guys know how to make a _fucking scene_ ," Evelyn smirked to herself as she lit her cigarette, "Well, V should hopefully blow up my holo here soon. We need to figure out where we can set up a brain sweep safely."

Judy's eyes remained closed as she slowly breathed in and out. Her tense body began to relax except for her stubborn hand. Its tight embrace was still locked around her phone. **_Please_ let me know you're safe, V…**

"Do you want a smoke, Jude? _Help calm your nerves._ You've been shakin' this entire time…" Evelyn reached out her lit cigarette to her friend.

Judy slowly opened her eyes and glanced over, hesitating for a moment before accepting, "T-thanks Evie… Haven't smoked in a while..." Evelyn nodded as the techie took the cigarette, "I think this is a special occasion to toss in your chips. Tonights' been'a… _a bit dramatic_." The tattooed Mox forced out a small chuckle, "I think 'a bit dramatic' is an understatement. Maybe ' _petrifying_ ' is more fitting."

The blue-haired woman lit another cigarette for herself. Her fingertips danced with a nervous flight of impatience as she waited for her hired help to contact her.

Judy took a small puff of her cigarette, struggling to hold back a small cough. Evelyn chuckled as she looked over at the techie, "You weren't kiddin'. When's the last time you smoked?" Judy wrinkled her nose as she forced her lungs to accept the smoke floating within them, "Night I left Maiko. Decided to kick all the bad habits in one fell swoop."

The current playing commercial abruptly cut off as the news live-feed returned.

_"Good evening all, Gillean Jordan, N-54 News. We have another breaking update on the Konpeki Plaza situation…"_

Both women quickly snapped their heads toward the screen. "Shit…" Evelyn mumbled.

_"… The black vehicle, which was indeed a Delamain taxi, has been located by NCPD aerodynes. The assailant's vehicle has been spotted in Heywood. Handing this over to Bes Isis who is at the scene now. Bes?"_

The screen switched over to an older woman who appeared to be walking and holding her own camera, _"Hello, and thank you Gillean. Bes Isis here – I was able to tail the NCPD as they zeroed in on the vehicle. However, something seems very strange – the vehicle was not trying to evade law enforcement when it was being followed. I am not entirely sure what is going on, but we've been led to the front of an 'El Coyote Cojo' – apparently a local bar here in Heywood operated by the Valentino Gang…. Again, not entirely sure what's happening… but stay with us."_ Bes stopped walking.

A rumble of thunder was heard as Bes panned her camera toward the sky. A storm was rolling in as lightening flashed a few miles away. She continued to lower the camera to the scene in front of her.

It was late – just past midnight. For Night City, all of its streets were bright with life no matter the time of day. Shops, stores, and clubs always remained open as their neon signs lit the pathways for people. However, tonight, this particular street within Night City was different. It was dark.

The black Delamain taxi was parked in front of the El Coyote Cojo entrance as several NCPD and Max-Tac vehicles surrounded the area. The vehicle was pitch black – none of its exterior or interior lights were on. Its dark tinted privacy windows made it next to impossible to see inside the cab.

The flashing lights on the nearby law enforcement vehicles randomly lit up the area in small bursts. An NCPD aerodyne hovered above, turning on a spotlight to shine down on the vehicle and attempt to provide light to the scene, but it didn't provide much help.

_"NCPD and Max-Tac ground officers arrived. Right now, it looks like a Max-Tac officer is attempting to open the car without any luck."_

The Max-Tac officer attempted to pull open the back door of the cab, but it wouldn't budge. He then attempted to smash out the window with the butt of his rifle.

 _"Excuse me, but you cannot open this vehicle,_ " a robotic voice came from the car. _"I have been given specific instructions to make a delivery to a 'Guadalupe Alejandra Welles'. If you are not Guadalupe Alejandra Welles, please move back 50 feet, otherwise, combat mode will enable and you will be vaporized. You may approach once she has received her delivery. Thank you."_

Following its directions, the Max-Tac officer raised his hand and rifle in the air as he slowly stepped back from the vehicle. Several other law enforcement members ensured that they too were 50 feet from the vehicle as they all proceeded to create a perimeter around the area.

Then entrance to the El Coyote Cojo slowly opened. Bes zoomed her camera for the audience to have a closer look.

An older woman with silver hair hesitantly peeked outside as she placed her hand over her eyes, shielding them from the flashing law enforcement lights, as she looked around in confusion. She opened the door wider and began to step outside. She wore a black synthleather vest over a long-sleeved, hand-woven red sweater. A Valentino's logo was on the breast pocket of the vest.

As she stepped forward, a much larger male followed closely behind. He had short dark hair with facial hair and also wore the same styled vest with Valentino's logo. His right arm was gold plated.

 _"E-excuse me? H-hello? W-what is happening here? Why are you all here?"_ the woman asked.

 _"Are you Guadalupe Alejandra Welles?"_ the vehicle asks. _"S-…sí?..."_ the woman replied.

###### 

At the bottom of the screen, the N-54 News auto-translated to English. **_[Y-…Yes?]_**

###### 

_"Ah, greetings Ms.Welles. Thank you for using this Delamain delivery service. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door."_

Ms.Welles stared with confusion at the vehicle.

_"I have been instructed to deliver something to you. Please approach the back seat and I will unlock and open the door for you."_

The woman apprehensively looked at the large Valentino behind her. He met her with the same confusion as he shrugged his shoulders before giving her a small nod and gesture toward the back of the car, encouraging her to proceed.

Ms.Welles turned back around and slowly approached the back door of the vehicle. The door clicked and opened automatically.

There was a brief moment of silence…

…before a gut-wrenching scream was heard.

_"N-No, no! ¿¡Q-qué has hecho?!"_

###### 

**_[N-No, no! W-what have you done?!]_ **

###### 

She quickly covered her mouth and took a step back from the cab. Her face had lost all color as she continued to looking in.

She began to quietly sob as she took a small step forward. Her arms trembled as she reached into the car, _"N-nono no ... Esto no está pasando ... N-no ... no nononono ... mi hermoso bebé ... Por favor ..."_

###### 

**_[N-nono no… This is not happening… N-no… no nononono… my beautiful baby boy... Please...]_ **

###### 

Two Max-Tac officers, a male and female, immediately zeroed in.

The male officer held up his rifle and pointed it at the large Valentino who was standing behind Ms.Welles, _"Step away from the vehicle, NOW!"_ The officer began pushing the man back as he pressed the barrel of his rifle into his chest. The Valentino held his hands in the air, stumbling back as the officer continued to aggressively force him away.

The female officer rushed in behind, grabbing the silver-haired woman and violently yanked her from the vehicle, dragging her away. The distraught silver-haired woman immediately began screaming in agony as she tried to break free from the officer.

The male Valentino's eyes widened as he saw the older woman in distress. As he tried desperately to help her, the male officer cracked the man across the face with the butt of his rifle, rendering the Valentino immediately unconscious as he collapsed to the ground.

Ms.Welles viciously kicked her legs into the air as tears streamed down her face. She landed a powerful blow into the female officer's ribs and broke free from her grasp. The officer stumbled back, falling to the ground as the silver-haired woman scrambled back to the vehicle, shrieking with anguish as she began reaching inside again, _"¡No! Por favor, no mi pequeña Jackie ... ¡¿Dios, por favor?! ¡Evitarle! ¡Te lo ruego!"_

###### 

**_[No! Please not my little Jackie… God, please?! Spare him! I beg you!]_ **

###### 

Additional officers swarmed in to establish control of the scene.

Two officers grabbed Ms.Welle's legs and forced her out of the vehicle, dragging her away by her feet as she screamed and cried. She kicked violently as she tried to break free again.

Another officer reached into the vehicle and pulled a blood-soaked man from the car, throwing him on the ground, and placed the barrel of a handgun against his crimson-coated temple.

The two officers who were handling the frantic silver-haired woman threw her to the ground and pinned her down with their feet.

Ms.Welles looked at the body on the ground. Her face distorted with pain as her chin quivered. She attempted to push herself up to get to the body. One of the officers slammed their boot against her back, drilling their heel into her spine, demanding submission. They pointed their rifle toward her head, _"Move one more time, and I'll blow your FUCKING HEAD OFF!"_

The silver-haired woman slowly shook her head with defiance. More tears streamed down her face as she reached out, desperately trying to touch her youngest son's hand. Her entire body was exhausted and in pain. She couldn't breathe.

Again, she attempted to get closer to her baby boy. Her voice shook as she tried to crawl to him, _"Mátame en su lugar… Por favor devuélveme a mi bebé… Mi Jaquito… M-mi… mi dulce y pequeña Jackie… No puedo perderlo también…"_

###### 

**_[Take me… Please return my baby boy… My Jaquito… M-my… my sweet little Jackie… I can't lose him too…]_ **

###### 

A much older man who had a mustache, wore a black button-down shirt under a brown sweater, and was much smaller and more fragile than the first Valentino man, stepped outside, _"PLEASE! Please don't shoot! I'll take her back inside! Let me take her back!"_

He quickly came to Ms.Welles' side as the two officers removed their feet from her back.

He gently placed his hands around her arms and helped her sit up. She collapsed against him, weeping into his chest. He held her tight - his left arm around her body and his right arm holding the back of her head - helping to support her. He closed his eyes and he listened to her cry into his chest while continuing to protect her.

After several minutes, the silver-haired woman stood up with the man, trembling as she looked back at her son's corpse, and slowly walked back into the bar.

_"Bes Isis here… I've received an update. The body within the vehicle has been identified. Jaquito 'Jackie' Welles, now deceased. Cause of death, fatal gunshot wound to the abdominal aorta. His body will be confiscated by NCPD for booking and processing. His next of kin will receive his ashes within 4 to 6 weeks… Back to you, Gillean."_

The screen went black for a moment before switching back to the front of Konpeki Plaza with the blonde-haired news anchor.

_"Thank you, Bes. Glad to see another piece of filth has been swept from the street! We also have another update - we've received word from Konpeki Plaza – The luxury hotel will be shut down until further notice... This is an absolute tragedy. My thoughts reach out to those who've experienced the sumptuousness of their cuisine… What a nightmare… But my suggestion is if you find yourself craving a good bite to eat… visit Bleu! Experience a gourmet dining experience with some of the highest accolades and richest portfolios in the city. If you're after high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, Bleu is the place for you! Among its marquee dishes are authentic caviar, oysters, and imported prosecco. The alabaster white interior adorned with minimalist décor is perfect for a relaxing night out follow a day of hustle and bustle!_

_... What was that? Ah, yes. Great! Folks, we just received a fabulous update. Our sources state that the third assailant - who was a female - has also been neutralized. I repeat, sources indicate that the third gunman-er, gunwoman… has been killed! Our sources did not provide an identification, but once we know more, you'll be first to hear it Night City... So, until then, this has been Gillian Jordan from N-54 News. Good Night, Night City."_

Neither one of the women could move. Their glazed over eyes stared blankly at the screen as a NiCola commercial played.

They suffered a paralyzing loss.

Evelyn's grand plans were so purposefully and so intricately crafted that failure wasn't possible. To believe that it was even an option would mean she would have to accept the possibility that her present could be permanent - a fate worse than living at all. To her, this heist and her future were the same - and she saw them both crumble to dust in her hands.

Evelyn felt like someone had just signed her death warrant.

Judy's ears were ringing. Her phone, which she never once let go of, slipped from her fingers and dropped to the floor.

She felt like she was already dead.

###### 

It had been over a week since the heist.

Neither Evelyn or Judy were themselves; they were quiet, dissociative, and unemotional. They hadn't left Lizzie's Bar, other than one afternoon where they took Judy's van out so they could pickup a few pairs of clothes and hygiene essentials.

The techie drowned herself in work to keep her mind from drifting while the broken doll did the opposite - she laid on a cot in the braindance editor's studio day in and day out, drowning in 'what could haves'. Evelyn no longer wore her expressive outfits and eccentric colors. She dyed her hair black and wore darker makeup; primarily eyeshadow and lipstick, and started wearing neutral colors like greys and blacks.

If Judy wasn't working, she only worried about her friend – it was easier than thinking about her own thoughts and feelings. She placed her braindance player down as she looked at the broken doll, "Hey… Evie?"

"Huh?" the now black-haired woman grunted as she laid facing a wall.

"Think we should… go stretch our legs. Would probably do us some good…" the techie said as she stood up from her chair. "Go ahead… think I'll just stay here," Evelyn replied, waving her hand back toward Judy. "Ev, come on. We haven't seen daylight in… well, days. Could go for a scopdog or somethin'. All we've eaten are… protein bars and booze. You can't tell me you aren't hungry," the tattooed woman said as she walked over toward the cot.

"I'm not really hungry, Judy…" Evelyn said, as she began curling herself up into a ball. "Ev, please... If not for you, for me? Please come up with me. I don't want to be alone and I don't want you to be alone either. Please….," Judy begged as she knelt down beside her broken friend, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

Evelyn let out a small sigh as she rolled over and looked at Judy, "… Okay, Judes. For you." The broken doll sat herself up slowly, trying to avoid herself from getting light headed, "I guess… I could eat somethin'. Could go for a smoke too." Judy smiled softly toward her friend as she helped her to stand, "Sounds like a plan."

###### 

They walked down the block toward a corner store – one that Mox members frequently visited during their shift breaks. While Evelyn smoked a cigarette, Judy kept her sights straight forward with her hands in her pockets as they walked together.

"It's kinda weird not seein' you in your signature overalls," the black-haired woman commented toward that tattooed Mox as she let out a puff of smoke. The techie was wearing a blue and pink hoodie that had the Moxes logo on the back and the gang's signature skull girl icon on the front chest, a pair of ripped blue jeans, and black sneakers. She looked over toward Evelyn with a raised eyebrow, "Why? What's so weird about it?"

The doll shrugged her shoulders as they continued walking, "I dunno. I feel like anytime I've seen you, you're wearin' them." Judy narrowed her eyes, "I have other outfits, ya know. I've worn a different outfit every day this week!" Evelyn raised an eyebrow, "Mmmhmm…" She took another puff from her cigarette.

"I have! My overalls are dirty right now… speakin' of which, we should actually probably go to my place and do some laundry… we're runnin' low on clothes…" the techie said as she looked down at her attire.

As the two arrived at the corner store, Evelyn headed toward a bench that was near the entrance. "You not comin' in?" Judy asked as the black-haired woman sat down. "Nuh. You go ahead – wanna finish my smoke," Evelyn replied as she folded her right leg over her left knee. "Okay. Want anythin'?" Judy asked as she headed toward the entrance.

"Surprise me."

She pushed open the front door and stepped into the store – Judy was the only customer there. The shopkeep, a mixed Japanese woman, gave the braindance tech a small wave, "Afternoon!" Judy gave the woman a small nod before proceeding through the aisles, looking for anything that caught her eye.

She picked up a few bottles of Real Water, a couple different flavors of Chromanticore, some Yikes! Tofu Bars, three protein bars, a box of Pop-Turds to subdue her occasional sweet tooth, a couple packs of instant Rammmmen, and two Hawt Dawgs for the walk back.

The techie approached the counter with her bounty as the shopkeep gave a small, friendly bow. "That all?" the woman asked. Judy shook her head, "Can I get a pack of cigarettes?" The shopkeep nodded as she reached under the locked counter, grabbing a pack of Morley cigarettes, and placed them in Judy's bag, "That'll be 80§" The techie pulled roll of crumples eddies and handed the woman a 100§ bill, "Here, keep the change." The tattooed Mox smiled at the woman before heading outside.

She opened the door and immediately saw Evelyn pacing in front of the entrance. Judy tilted her head to the side, "Ev, you okay?" The black-haired woman gasped from being startled, "Jesus, Jude. You scared me." Judy walked over toward Evelyn who seemed on edge, "Ev, seriously. You freakin' me out a little. What's got you all knotted up?"

Evelyn shook her head as she looked over Judy's shoulder, "Let's… Let's just head back, yeah?" The techie narrowed her eyes as her friend turned around and began walking back toward Lizzie's. Judy swooped her eyes in different directions, trying to see if she could identify something that seemed out of the ordinary – But the only thing Judy found strange was Evelyn.

The techie jogged to catch up to the doll who was moving at a brisk pace, "You gonna… tell me what's going on when we get back?" Judy questioned as she matched Evelyn's pace. The black-haired woman shrugged, "Nothing's going on. I just wanted to get back's all." The techie rolled her eyes, "Fine, if you don't wanna tell me…" Evelyn looked at her friend, "Judy, relax. Everything's fine."

###### 

"The hell you mean you're going back to _Clouds_!?" Judy crossed her arms as she glared at Evelyn.  
The black-haired woman sighed as she pulled a cigarette from her metal case, "Jude. It'll be safer if I'm there. I already said this." Judy shook her head as she held her palm toward Evelyn, "How? How's it safer? Please convince me, 'cause from where I stand, Evie, you have protection at Lizzie's, twenty-four seven. There's nowhere safer than here. Clouds offers you nothing."

Evelyn looked at her friend with a half-hearted smile, "Jude… You'll understand one day." Judy threw her hands in the air, "What that hell's that mean!? Evie. Please. _Please_. I need you to see straight – You aren't makin' sense."

The doll lit her cigarette as she watched her friend pace back and forth in the braindance studio, "Roxy's comin' to pick me up soon." Judy immediately stopped pacing as she shook her head and dropped her arms down at her side, "Know what, Ev? _Fine_. Whatever. I can't stop you. Do what you want."

Evelyn took a puff from her cigarette as she continued to watch Judy, "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you wantta hear, Jude. But… Like I said, it'll be safer if I'm there." The techie shook her head again, "Look. I-…I need to get outta here. Been couped up in this basement for too long. Startin' to get stir crazy… So… Please take care of yourself, Evie. Okay? _Please_?"

The black-haired woman looked away as she tapped on her cigarette, "Thanks, babes." She took another puff before looking back at Judy, "And… you take care of yourself too, you hear me? I know it doesn't seem like it now… but, things'll turn around for you. Just needa be patient." Judy shook her head again as she grabbed the Moxes coat she wore earlier and her van keys, "Let's setup a brunch or somethin' n' a week? So, I can see how you're doin?"

Evelyn nodded at her friend, giving her a hug goodbye.

She leaned against the doorway, finishing off her cigarette as she watched Judy head through the basement toward the back entrance where her van was parked. As her friend exited the building, Evelyn pulled out her metal cigarette case and stared at it.

She walked over to Judy's desk and rummaged through the drawers, searching for a pen and a piece of paper. As she found the supplies, she sat down and begun writing …

> _My dearest Jude,  
>  Do you remember when we were out at that corner shop? You kept asking me what was wrong?  
>  I didn't tell you, because I didn't know how to tell you.  
>  There was a man. I saw him watching me from a vehicle… I knew him. He is a VooDoo Boy.  
>  I'm sure you'll understand what that means by the time you find this note… if you ever find it.  
>  I knew immediately that I had to leave Lizzie's… that I had to leave you.  
>  Judy, didn't go back to Clouds because it was **safer for me.**  
>  I went back because it was **safer for you.**  
>  I promised you that you would be safe after the heist… And with me near you… you aren't safe._
> 
> _So, whatever happens…  
>  Please know **it isn't your fault**. Please **do not blame yourself.**  
>  You've always been like a little sister to me… Know that **I love you very much.**_
> 
> _\- Evie P_

Evelyn stared at the letter after she signed her name. Tears began to fall from her eyes.

Her hands shook as she folded it in half and as she opened up her metal cigarette case.

She placed a gentle kiss on the folded letter before hiding it behind a row of cigarettes.

Then she closed the case and left it on Judy's desk.

As she stood up from her chair, she trembled. She didn't know why, but she knew deep down in her heart this would be the last time she would ever see her friend. She quickly dabbed the tears from her eyes as her breath quivered.

_"Bye, Judy…"_

Evelyn turned and quickly walked out of the braindance editor's den.

###### 

Judy slammed her van door. She pulled her jacket on and shoved her fists into her pocket. She felt like she failed Evelyn – that something happened and her friend didn't feel comfortable enough to tell her. It made Judy feel inadequate, like she couldn't protect anything she cared about.

She couldn't do anything to help her childhood town - the home to her friends and family when it was bought out and flooded.

Majority of the JoyToys and Dolls she tried to recruit under the protection of Lizzie's were turned away by Susie.

She couldn't help Evelyn as she slipped away into a depression. No matter how much Judy tried, she felt like all she did was push her friend away.

She couldn't help…

**…V**

Judy leaned against her van as the painful memories made her feel weak. The many feelings she felt that night – Happiness, excitement, joy, a potential bright future… suddenly ripped away and replaced with sorrow, fear, loss, grief, and death.

She felt like her spirit was had been shredded up and flushed away.

Her eyes began to fill with tears as she struggled to manage the whirlwind of emotions spiraling in her head, making her feel dizzy. It was easier drowning herself with work and worrying about Evelyn because she didn't have to face these feelings.

_But now she was alone._

_And no one could hear her as she silently screamed for help._

She closed her eyes as her chin quivered and her chest ached. She didn't want to feel this way anymore. She wanted the thoughts and feelings to vanish.

Judy pulled her jacket sleeve over her wrist as she raised it to her face, blotting away her tears. The techie took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself down. She took a moment to look around and suddenly realized she didn't know where she had driven – she didn't even remember the drive. She had gone on autopilot, retreating to the quietest place she could find in her mind, when she left Lizzie's Bar. She sniffled as she forced back her sorrow – she looked around at signs, road names, and buildings. Nothing seemed familiar to her. **How did I end up here?...**

The only other places she could go was work or her apartment, and she didn't want to be at either place – So she decided to just take a walk. It didn't matter where, how long, or how far. Being alone at her apartment only made things worse and being at work was really no better.

The tattooed Mox crossed the street and decided to go wherever her feet carried her. As she looked up, she saw a glowing district sign; She was still in Watson. **Okay, so I didn't stray too far from Lizzie's…** Below the sign said the subdistrict she was in; Little China.

Judy turned down a street that several other people seemed to be walking through. It wasn't a street that vehicles drove down, but more like a very wide sidewalk. She saw a large sign flickering, pointing toward a building that many people were entering and exiting; _Gomorrah Strip Club_. The techie crinkled her nose as she read the sign – a strip club was one of the last places she wanted to be at, so she decided to see what other shops were down the strip.

As she headed down the walkway, she heard a man shouting. She couldn't make out what the man was saying, but his voice started to become clearer as she approached. "And if you are their _pawn_?! Unknowingly carrying out their secret agendas!?" he screamed as people walked by. **Ah… Loco conspiracy theorist…**

The skinny braindance technician hid behind a group of people walking by so she could avoid eye contact with him. As she passed by safely thanks to the group, Judy slowed down to take a look at the other attractions near her.

She turned and looked up at a sign that was glowing bright; _Misty's Esoterica and Chakra Harmonization._

Judy tilted her head as she stared at the sign. Something about the small shop sparked a curiosity in the techie. She stepped inside and took a moment for her senses to adjust; the interior was very dark and many different incents filled the air. The shop seemed to have the ability to drown out all exterior noise as Judy only heard the quiet sounds of wind chimes and bells gently ringing harmonically.

A woman stood silently in front of what looked like a shrine. **Is she… a customer? Or…** The techie continued to look around – she was the only one in the store other than the quiet woman. She decided to browse and examine the several interesting figurines and signs scattered throughout the shop.

Judy approached a sign for 'Crystal Radiation.' She scrunched her eyebrows as she stared at the sign. A pamphlet sat nearby that explained what this type of therapy was and what its benefits were, but it didn't explain the various symbols and cryptic codes within the sign. The techie was so focused on the numbers and letters, she hadn't realized the woman was now behind her.

_"Judy Alvarez?"_

Judy's eyes widened as she immediately turned around. A young woman with short blonde hair stood with a soft smile, staring at her.

She wore a black spiked collar and two low hanging necklaces; one with a skull and the other with some type of symbol. She also wore a purple sweater that hung low on her shoulders, black shorts over fishnet stockings, and black platform boots.

"Y-yes?... How do you know my _name_?" The techie asked with apprehension in her voice. The woman continued to smile, "I remember all of my clients."

Judy continued to look confused, "I'm… I'm sorry – _I've been here before_?" The blonde-haired woman nodded, "Yes. About a year or so ago, you came here very late at night. I'm not very surprised that you don't remember… You were pretty intoxicated."

Her eyebrows remained permanently scrunched as she became more confused, "I- I… What? I'm sorry, I feel like a total _gonk_ right now. I… I have no idea what you're talking about… _I don't even know your name_." The woman slowly nodded as she motioned for Judy to follow her, "Come with me. I keep records or all of my clients. I have yours – what we talked about, readings I gave you, so on n' so forth. Also, the name's Misty." The techie tilted her head, " _…readings_?"

Misty led Judy toward the register. The tattooed Mox stood quietly as she looked around, patiently waiting for the blonde-haired woman to pull together her records. Misty pulled out a tablet and cleared her throat, " _Judy Alveraz_. You were here sometime last year, around the beginning of March. Near your birthday, I believe you said. You're a Pisces… _Water sign|_ …"

Misty hummed as she scrolled through the page, "Ah yes… when you came in… _The Reversed Hermit tarot_ was your predominant card at the time. You struggled – thrown into a period of loneliness, isolation, and contemplation. You felt lost on your journey. Helpless." The blonde woman looked up at Judy, whose eyes were wide as she stared at Misty.

"I had told you that… though that period of time in your life would be trying, you needed to make the most of it. It was the time for reflection - figure out who you were, what your goals were, and to identify what you wanted from life… **and from a partner**. This period of self-discovery would become a fundamental building block for you to have strong relationships in the future… Oh, and I also gave you a dreamcatcher. You were apparently having nightmares and couldn't sleep," Misty looked back up at Judy, who now had tears forming in her eyes, "The… The dreamcatcher is above my bed…"

The blonde-haired woman quickly grabbed tissues from under her counter and nudged them toward the techie. Judy grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes as she stared down at the counter.

"I could feel you approach the moment you stood in front of my shop. Your spirit… it's been shattered… And from what I sense, it happened very recently. I can feel your grief and mourning, even when you try to suppress it…," Misty looked softly at Judy. The techie cleared her throat and averted her eyes.

The blonde-haired woman reached her hands across the desk and laid them gently on Judy's – they were shaking, "May I suggest we perform a new reading for you? It might calm your nerves… provide you with some answers or insight you might need in order to cope?"

Judy nodded slowly as she continued looking away. Misty smiled as she withdrew her hands and bent over, pulling two stools from under her counter. She slid one around to the techie, "Here. Get comfortable."

Judy grabbed the stool and slid it in front of Misty's counter. She swung her leg over and made herself comfortable as she watched Misty begin shuffling a deck of two-toned purple and orange cards.

"I believe you would benefit from a _Seven Card Forecast_ … The more guidance you receive at this stage in time will help you if you adhere to the tarot's advice… We will be using a standard 78-card deck that includes the _22 Major Arcana_ and _56 Minor Arcana_. Having both Major and Minor arcana present will help with clarity… So, are you ready, Judy?" Misty stopped shuffling and looked at the tattooed Mox.

She nodded, "Is there… anything special that I need to do?"

"Yes. I will fan out the entire deck. You will need to choose your 7 cards, and without flipping them over, you will place them in order… Listen to your heart and your gut. Does that make sense?" Misty looked at Judy again as she began fanning out the deck. The techie nodded and waited patiently for the Tarot Reader to finish.

As she looked at all the cards, she could feel her chest becoming very hot. She unzipped her jacket and slid it off, dropping it on the floor. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she reached her hand out. She hovered her hand over the deck, moving it back and forth slowly… Then she began sliding random cards out.

"Good," Misty said as she quickly swiped up the remaining 71 cards, "Judy… You have a very, very strong heart… I'm guessing that's why you took your jacket off… Chest hot? Felt your own power? Can be overwhelming at times" Judy opened her eyes and stared at Misty. The blonde-haired woman smiled and gestured her hand at the remaining 7 cards on the table, "Now… place them in whatever order seems natural for you. Starting from your left and ending at your right."

Judy looked down at the cards. She felt her heart beginning to race again as she lifted both hands and began swapping the positions of the cards. She stopped for a moment as she lined them all up and tilted her head. She reached back over and hovered her hand over the 6th and 7th positioned cards, ultimately swapping them.

The techie leaned back as she looked at the spread, then nodded toward the Tarot Reader. "Great! Are you ready for your reading, Judy?" Misty asked with a soft smile. Judy felt her breath shake as she nodded her head, "Y-yeah… Um… Go ahead…"

Misty slowly flipped the cards over, one by one, and discussed their possible meanings:

> _**\- Upright 5 of Cups:** "Ah, I am not surprised… As I said, I felt this energy when you arrived… You're currently going through a period of grief and mourning. You've suffered a great emotional loss recently… Perhaps, a break up of some sorts? Something… that you had wanted to continue, yet it ended abruptly… Be wary, Judy. Your mind will try to shield you with a fog of confusion, anger, and fear – do not let those emotions steer you. Your heart is your beacon of hope that you must trust and follow. Though you have much to mourn over right now, listen to your heart and understand that not all is lost."_
> 
> _**\- Upright Wheel of Fortune:** "Change is inevitable – and most change comes as unexpected and uncontrollable events. For you, I get the sense that this is regarding a relationship of some sorts – one that you didn't see coming. You will find yourself drawing closer to someone and a commitment will grow; you two must be there for each other in times of need. You both will be tested and with these challenges, your partnership will grow as you both learn how to navigate ups and downs in life as a team…"_
> 
> _**\- Reversed 9 of Swords:** "Hmm… Terrible loss will befall you. Nightmarish that might keep you from sleeping at night… Struggles of remorse… Great loss, pain, and suffering… You will have an important choice – either face it alone and suffer all of these feelings in silence, which is a common trait among water signs… Or you can choose to open yourself up and reach out for help, where you will be rewarded with the ability to become truly vulnerable, gain support, and… love. The extremes will pull you in both directions, but ultimately, they will balance out if you seek help."_
> 
> _**\- Upright High Priestess:** "Like I said before – as a water element, you struggle with keeping your emotions to yourself. You run away or shut people out during times of crisis… But if you become honest to yourself and to others, you'll be able to expose the things that are hidden under the surface. This will increase intimacy, openness, and possibly heal old wounds."_
> 
> _**\- Reversed Fool:** "Beware your tendency of recklessness. Again – another trait that water signs struggle with. Majority of the time, you tend to listen to your heart over your head. In many cases, this is one of your greatest virtues… But in others… it may cost you something you cannot afford. Do not let your passionate energy blind you and impact your insight and judgement – understand and know the potential consequences of your actions before moving forward."_
> 
> _**\- Reversed Moon:** "Remember that you are dealing with an illusion. Deception and confusion may try to confuse you and make you believe that you have all of the right information… but you might be manipulated and details are withheld from you. Rely on your intuition to navigate to the truth."_
> 
> _**\- The Lovers:** "A representation of unity, cohesiveness, harmony, and commitment. A rare but beautiful, soul-honoring connection with someone… A soul mate or life partner? You will find yourself in your most vulnerable state as you've learned to open your heart. The sexual energy between you both goes way beyond instant gratifications and lust to something much, much more amazing… It becomes spiritual and almost Tantric."_

Judy stared down at the cards as she attempted to comprehend and grasp what Misty had told her. **'Not all is lost'? 'Unforeseen relationship'? 'Terrible loss'? 'SOUL MALE' or 'LIFE PARTNER'?!** The techie continued to stare at the cards as Misty watched her silently.

" _Misty_? Misty!" A man's voice shouted. Judy quickly looked up as Misty turned around.

An older man's voice was coming through the back of the shop as he abruptly walked in, "Misty? Are you up here? I wanted to talk to you about your Omega Blockers. Her numbers are lookin- _Oh…_ "

He was an older gentleman with old scars peppered across his face. He had short black hair and tattoos covered his entire right arm. There were round studded earrings in both of his ears and he wore thick black-framed glasses, a blue button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and black jeans. A stethoscope was draped over his shoulders and a necklace with a boxing glove pendant hung from his neck.

The man stopped talking as he saw Misty and Judy, "Oh… Misty, I'm so sorry. Didn't mean to barge in... I didn't know you were with a customer; I'll wait."

Misty smiled at the man before she looked back at Judy, "We actually just wrapped up… What a coincidence… _But I don't believe in coincidences – I believe in fate._ "

Misty gestured toward the man, "Judy, this is Dr. Viktor," she then looked at the man, "And Vik, this is Judy." The two exchanged small waves and smiles. "Don't mind me," Judy said, "Just… trying to figure out these cards." Misty smiled at the Mox member before she looked at Viktor, "So, what were you sayin' ?"

A smile spread across his face, "Yes. Your Omega Blockers… Originally we estimated a lifespan of about two to three weeks, right?"

Misty nodded.

"From the numbers I'm seeing… I have every reason to believe that her brain is still in the repair process – happenin' in places we can't see, which means it's greatly impacting the blockers efficacy… Misty, her numbers today… started looking really, really good. If we keep monitoring her… and if my calculations are close… Your blockers could expand her life expectancy to… at least several months, if not more!" Vik had a large grin across his face.

Misty smiled, "This is preem news Doc! With your approval, I'd like us to run a checkup on her in about… five, six days? We could get a better estimate of the blockers ability and I could check her tarot. When I checked her cards a few days ago, they were all over the place… there was too much interference with two souls."

Vik rubbed the back of his neck as he continued smiling at the floor, "Misty… if we're right… You might've bought her enough time to figure out how to actually pull through this," He smiled at the blonde-haired woman, "I told'ya… She's a fighter like me."

Misty nodded, "Yes… _Valerie_ is definitely a fighter."

Judy lifted up her head as the two finished talking. **Huh, that's a really pretty name… 'Valerie'**

Misty waved Viktor goodbye as he headed back to his clinic. Suddenly, the Tarot Reader felt goosebumps travel across her body. She stopped waiving and continued to stare in the direction of the clinic for a bit before slowly turning toward Judy.

The tattooed Mox raised her eyebrow at the blonde-haired woman who was staring intensely at her.

Misty continued to stare inquisitively before slowly turning and looking back at the clinic again for a bit.

A small chuckle escaped the Tarot Reader's mouth as she turned back to Judy, with a large smile across her face.

"Judy, like I said… _I don't believe in coincidences – I believe in fate_ … Listen to your heart… _Because all was not lost._

###### 

"Whoa… start again. What's it you want us to do, now?" Rita asked the JoyToy. "Beat some sense into him. That don't work – I dunno, use lead! I don't care. Just want my room back," the woman pleaded. Rita folded her arms, "Your pimp through you out, that it?"

Lizzie's Bar hadn't opened yet. Several Moxes were hanging around the club resting before their shift began in a few hours. However, Rita, Candy, and Judy were hanging around the bar, talking to an outcasted JoyToy unit who had become homeless, seeking a place of solace.

The woman let out a frustrated sigh, "He told me I was generatin' losses, then just said 'Have a nice life!' and slammed the damn door. I don't got nowhere to SLEEP tonight." Rita motioned her handed up and down toward the JoyToy's body, "Still got your body, though, don't you? Work it, girl!"

The JoyToy shook her head, "Don't think I do? Every 'enny I make gets eaten up by upgrades! So, I said, 'Fuck It' – got a doll-chip. Went to Clouds, said they weren't hiring no more. Now I gotta work the streets to pay back my ripperdoc!"

Candy chimed in and she crossed her arms, "Doll-chip's not all ya got… From the look o' things, faceplate's high design, custom made. WhooOOOooAAaa, tits are too!" The purple-haired Mox's eyes grew larger as she leaned in toward the JoyToy's breasts.

The JoyToy rolled her eyes and took a step back, "I ' _INVEST_ ' In myself. Still wasn't good enough, still told me I was ' _underqualified_.'" Rita sighed, "But what are we supposed to do about it?" The woman placed her hand against her forehead, "I told ya! Just want my room back! That's all."

Rita shook her head, "Sorry, but that's not how it works here anymore, hun." Candy nodded, "If you were a Mox, this'd be a whole 'nother convo."

Judy chimed in, "We really don't have a place for her to crash tonight? I mean, I've got an extra cot downstairs that Ev used… N' it's just one night…" The JoyToy smiled wide at the techie. Rita tossed her hands in the air, "Jude – you'll have to go to Susie with that one and I'm warnin' ya… She's been a _ROYAL B_ ' today… so… feel free to fight that good fight. You know she ain't gonna be happy about this…"

Judy shook her head, "Yeah, n' it's bullshit. Moxes came to be to help JoyToys, not throw 'em back on the street and leave 'em fendin' for themselves." Candy scratched the back of her head, "Judy… M-maybe… Maybe talk to Suse on another day? She's like, totally seriously pissed today. Somethin' to do with finances. Y'know how she gets…"

Judy felt her fists tighten, "Yeah – I do. Finances is _ALL_ she cares about. She doesn't care about you, me, Rita, or anyone. You're just a number t-"

_*BEEP**BEEP*_

Judy's phone began to ring obnoxiously loud. She had been listening to music earlier and forgot to lower the volume. Her eyes rolled over with annoyance as she reached into her back pocket, "Sorry… One sec' guys. Lemme turn this off."

As she went to hang up the call, she let out a deafening gasp as she quickly covered her mouth. Emotions began to quickly flood into Judy's head and chest as she stared at the name on her screen.

Judy tried to quickly answer the call as her phone fumbled in her hand, " _FUCK!_ " **H-how is this possible?! N-no. No, this can't be her. It's not possible. This doesn't make any sense. M-maybe someone else found her phone.**

Rita, Candy, and the JoyToy immediately stared at Judy with concern and confusion.

She finally tapped the button to accept the call and flicked the conversation to her holo. Her irises lit up blue as her eyes immediately grew wide with disbelief and confusion.

> **[Judy]:** V…? That you? H-holy shit V… I thought you were… gone.
> 
> **[V]:** You're not alone in thinking me dead… Heh… Thought it was game over for me, too.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Things went ass up, huh? Not as planned?
> 
> **[V]:** Heard about the heist, I take it. Must've talked to Evelyn.

**Ev? Why is she mentioning Evie?**

> **[Judy]:** Didn't need to. Whole damned city's heard.
> 
> **[V]:** Judy, listen. I need to find Evelyn.

**W-what the fuck? This is why she's calling me?! V's been alive for two weeks, doesn't have the decency to talk to me… and now she's callin' to hunt down Evie?!**

The techie immediately began to feel fear – she remembered how Evelyn acted the last time she saw her… Evelyn was afraid of something… _Was Evelyn afraid of V?_

> **[Judy]:** Uhm…I really don't wanna talk about her.
> 
> **[V]:** I'm serious. Do you know where she is?
> 
> **[Judy]:** V, what'd I just say? Drop it. I won't tell ya' again.
> 
> **[V]:** Judy, you're my one hope. The only lead I got. I gotta find her… An' I know you can help me do that.
> 
> **[Judy]:** Who told you I'd want to?
> 
> **[V]:** …Can we meet? Let's meet, please? You at Lizzie's?

Judy hung up. She was white as a ghost as her eyes darted side to side, struggling as she tried to assess all of her thoughts. What made sense? What didn't make sense? What could be warped to make sense? What should she do?

Her mind was screaming one thing; **_She's going to hurt Evelyn_**

While her heart screamed another; **_Listen to what V says and trust her_**

The techie felt her blood pressure begin to quickly rise and her pulse sped up as she tried to manage her feelings; happiness, worry, excited, fear, joy, sorrow, relief, confusion, grief, loneliness…

She felt like she stood in a thick fog, _alone_ , not able to see anything around her. She didn't know which direction to walk in order to break free. Should she bother walking in a random direction and hope she figures her way out? What if she gets further lost? Should she just sit down and wait for it to clear? What if it never does? _No one could hear her as she silently screamed for help._

Judy's fists began to tighten – her emotions and thoughts spiraling out of control was too much to handle. She didn't have time or the bandwidth to process any of this new information. She hadn't even processed what had happened over the past two weeks.

She was reaching her threshold, and if one more thing happened…

"…Jude? Y-you… okay?" Rita asked with caution.

Judy closed her eyes for a moment. **Jude, just breathe… take a minute… and breathe…**

"So… M'i gettin' a room? or…" The JoyToy quietly asked.

Judy's eyes tore open. That was the straw that broke the techie's back.

The tattooed Mox looked at the JoyToy, "Y'know. _I don't really fuckin' care, okay_? Take the cot. Sleep in my studio. It's my studio, and if Susie cares so much about profits, then she can come toe to toe with me. Let the fuckin' JoyToy sleep here, or lose your braindance technician. I'm sure the bitch will make the right fuckin' decision for the ' _business_ '."

The two Moxes and the JoyToy stared quietly, afraid to say anything.

Judy immediately snapped her attention at Rita, "If _V_ comes here, you do not let her in. Do you understand me?" She hissed through clenched teeth, "She is not welcome here. _EVER_." Rita slowly nodded as she stared.

There was a moment of silence.

"Do… Do I get any special instructions…?" Candy asked under her breath. Judy slowly narrowed her eyes and glared at the purple-haired Mox, "Yeah. Candy, you do… Keep everyone the _fuck_ away from me." Candy saluted her friend, "Aye Aye! Guard Dog Duty begins… Now!"

The raging ball of fire turned around and walked through the double doors that let her down to her den of silence and brewing.

The JoyToy looked at Rita and Candy, "Well, uhm… If she's down in her studio then… Y'know, I think I'll just hang around upstairs? Like, until she leaves because she… scares me and I don't want to be alone with her…" The two Moxes nodded, " _Good idea_." The woman walked away and sat down at an empty booth. She pulled out some makeup and spent time freshening up.

"Jude was… really upset… I haven't seen her like that in a long time," Candy said, worried. Rita shrugged, "Well… I think I'd take a pissy Judy then a… lifeless one. That's the most emotion I've seen from her in the past two weeks…" Candy scratched her temple, "What do you think happened? She was so happy a couple of weeks ago… And then she just… Changed. I just… I don't get it."

Rita slowly shook her head, "I think I have an idea about what happened… But it's just a hunch… I'll let the Jude-ster brew for a little bit before I go talk to her. Don't want my eyes ripped out. I like my eyes." Candy nodded, "Aye aye, Cap'n." She saluted Rita before walking away to sit down on a chair. The purple-haired Mox leaned back and immediately fell asleep.

Rita laughed, "What a good little guard dog." Mateo approached Rita as he held a tablet in his hand, "What's that all'bout?" Rita turned and looked at her co-worker, "Uh… Y'know, I don't think I could successfully explain anything that just happened, 'Teo."

He frowned at the pink-haired Mox, "Judy seemed upset." Rita raised both of her eyebrows as she nodded, "Uh, yup. That she was. That she was…" He continued to frown, "Heard her say that the nosey one ain't allowed in." Rita raised her eyebrow, "Nosey one?" Mateo nodded, "As I've heard you all say… _S.F.T.A_ "

Rita let out a laugh as she pat Mateo on the back, "Y'know. I figure out how to explain everythin' that just happened." Mateo raised his eyebrow.

Rita crossed her arms, "' _Lovers-quarrel_ '… Honestly 'Teo – best we stay out of this. I think those two actually need to talk."

###### 

Judy paced in her studio as she looked down at Evelyn's cigarette case. **Ev, why the hell did you leave this? You barely had any of your shit here and yet you managed to forget this…**

She closed her eyes and slowly rubbed her temples. **Maybe I should give her a holocall. Haven't heard from her since she cancelled our brunch.**

" **ALVAREZ**! Where the _fuck_ are you!?"

Her eyes shot open as she clenched her jaw, "What do you want, _Susanna_?"

Susie Q stormed into the techie's den with a nasty glare, "Who… Is…. The _whore_ upstairs, walkin' around, _bitchin_ ' about her pimp!?" Judy crossed her arms as she stared at her gang leader, "Just some JoyToy who needed a cot for the night. What – that gonna shut your _business_ down?"

The Mox leader held her forehead with her hand, "Why can't you just stop tellin' _every JoyToy you meet_ to come here? The _hell_ am I s'posed to do them 'em all!?" Judy mockingly shrugged, gimlet-eyed, " _I don't_. Must be the club's _reputation_. 'Girls need help, this is where they go'." Susie crossed her arms tight, "Last time I checked, we weren't runnin' a _shelter_."

The tattooed Mox rolled her eyes as she placed her hands on her hips, " _C'mon_ , they all deserve a chance! Anyone could end up useful. Give it some time, they'll pay for themselves." The Mox Leader threw her hands into the air, "Pay?! Chicks can barely take care of themselves, Alveraz!" Judy scowled, "Not when they're face down in the mud. But who knows – could _surprise_ you!"

Susie snarled at the techie, "I _hate_ surprises." The tattooed Mox folded her arms as she shook her head, "Mhm. Reeeaally feelin' that _sense of community_ right now…" Judy's boss leaned forward with a glare and pointed a finger toward the techie, "Y'know, if you're _so concerned_ about them strays…" she then gestured toward the exit, "…how 'bout you _go take care of yours_."

The Mox Leader immediately lifted her hand and pushed the tattooed woman's shoulder, causing her to lose balance, stumbling back out of the way as Susie headed toward the exit. Judy caught herself on her desk as she yelled toward Susie, "S-suse! We're not done here!" She heard her boss shout back, "Oh yeah, we _fuckin'_ are!"

Judy pushed herself off of her desk as her fists clenched. She had half a mind to storm after Susie. As she took a step toward the exit, her eyes widened. The mercenary was there, leaning against the doorframe, watching the Mox Leader walk away. **W-what? V?!... How th-Oh my GOD… Rita is _so dead_ when I see her…**

The tattooed Mox folded her arms as she approached the merc with a scowl, "You just don't give up, do you? Got _nothin'_ more to say to each other. Thought I made that clear, or was I just _too subtle_ for you?"

###### 

The mercenary shook her head as she stared at Judy, "Whatever. Wouldn't believe me if I told you that we didn't lay a finger on The Emperor – that it's all set up. All this ' _murderer_ 's been doin' is try an' get some answers. Find out what _went wrong_ … n' y'know what? Think I got my first answer to what went wrong. _I misjudged you_. You were right. Everyone in this hellhole of a city does live in their own goddamn bubble. Flyin' high, or sink'n quicksand. So, _thanks Judy_. Thanks for showin' me who you are. You're over there, not givin' two shits while you watch me drown." V turned around and walked away without looking back.

Her eyes burnt as her body trembled. She felt like she had been slapped across the face. What made sense? What didn't make sense? What could be warped to make sense? What should she do?

Her mind was screaming one thing; **_She's going to hurt Evelyn_**

While her heart screamed another; **_Think about what she said… and trust her_**

Judy still felt like she stood lost in her thick fog, _alone_. She still couldn't see anything around her. She was too afraid to listen to her heart because anytime she opened herself up, she got hurt. However, continuing to listen to her head would only mislead her. _No one could hear her as she silently screamed for help._

Her fists began to release - her emotions and thoughts continued to spiral. She was already angry, and anger was only making things worse. How could she process any of this? How could she process what has happened, or what was yet to come?

She continued to feel lost and confused. Her inner turmoil was tearing her apart.

_She wanted to ask for help, but would anyone hear her?_

"Jude?..." A soft voice said from the doorway. Judy looked up and saw Rita approaching her. "Are you okay?" the pink-haired Mox asked quietly.

Judy shook her head, "N-no… No, I'm not… I haven't been okay for'a couple weeks now, Rita…" Her friend laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "Wanna talk about it?" The tattooed Mox gave her friend a small nod.

Rita folded her arms, "Well, first... I need you to confirm something for me… V was involved in the Konpeki Plaza debacle, wasn't she?" Judy's eyes widened as she looked at the bouncer, "H-how'd you figure that?"

"Put two and two together. Moment shit hit the news – girl, you were _never the same_. Then when I heard the gunner was a woman, I knew. Everything made sense… and when they announced she was dead, you… Jude, you _completely shut down_. Never wanted to mentioned her again, you distanced yourself from everyone…" Rita looked at Judy with sad eyes, "… I was really worried about you, Jude. So was Candy."

The techie looked away for a moment, "Rita, I'm… sorry. I didn't mean to make you guys worry." The pink-haired Mox playfully punched Judy's shoulder, "Girl – it's fine. Just glad _you're finally talkin_ '. So, what's bothering you?"

Judy shook her head, "I'm just… confused about a lot of stuff right now. Can't process anything. Dunno what to think or feel." Rita nodded slowly, "Ahuh... okay, so what're you confused about?"

The tattooed Mox placed her hands on her face, "Ugh… _Literally everythin_ '. Whole fucked _sitch_. The heist, Evie, V." Rita raised an eyebrow, "Ahuh… Yeah, not a mind reader here, Jude. Need you to tell me what you've been thinkin' and feelin'."

She sighed, "Evelyn commissioned the heist – hired V and her crew. When things went tits up, Evie stayed here for protection. She suddenly got spooked n' high-tailed it outta here… Apparently V's been alive for two weeks – Hasn't bothered to reach out, but _whatever_ – then when she finally does, she's lookin' for Evie. Puttin' two and two together, V has every reason to want to hunt her down and do something to her. The botched job, all her chooms getting' killed… Could be angry, want revenge… I won't allow that."

Rita nodded as she listened, "Okay, so that's what you're thinkin'. What're you feelin'?" Judy rolled her eyes, "Does that really matter?" The pink-haired bouncer nodded again.

Judy let out a frustrated sighed, "Ugh… I dunno. Pissed? Hurt, confused? Torn? Like… I guess you could say that for some _gonk_ reason, my intuition says _I should trust V_. But I don't even know her, Rita - Jesus, thought she was maybe interested in me but didn't even bother to contact me for two weeks. _Obviously, I got that wrong_ … so, why should I trust her?"

Rita stroked her chin as she thought, "You said that V's been alive but hasn't reached out… However, she was reported dead… Ever think somethin' might've happened that made it so she _couldn't_ reach out? Can't believe you doubt her liking you. Dude, you two flirted at that bar for _hours_. If she didn't like you, she would'a told you to fuck off. And I was outside that night when she left. Totally digs you, dude."

The techie didn't respond. She silently thought to herself.

The bouncer continued, "And you think V wants to hurt Evie… Judy, you know how mercenaries are. If a mercenary came in here demanding answers, they'd either leave with answers, or someone would be killed… Did she leave here with her answers?"

Judy scrunched her eyebrows and slowly shook her head.

Rita stared with confusion at her friend, "Uh… I _dunno_ about you, but… I feel like all of this is _pretty self-explanatory_. Like, that all right there should answer all of your unanswered questions, Jude."

She was silent.

Her eyes burnt as her body trembled. She felt like she had been slapped across the face, again. Everything started to make sense. She knew what she needed to do.

Her mind was screaming one thing; **_Holy shit. I'm a total gonk_**

While her heart screamed another; ** _… Yeah, I am definitely a fuckin' gonk_**

There was no more fog, and she wasn't alone. As Rita helped her make sense of things, everything became clear. _When she opened up and asked for help, her friend was there to listen and lend a hand._

"Rita… She already left. I really fucked this up. I said some shit… I told her to never come back here…" The pink-haired Mox shrugged her shoulders, "Who doesn't say shit and fuck up once n' a while? Girl, she's out in the parking lot. Pretty sure she's… talkin' to herself out there… or something. You could pr-"

Judy quickly hugged Rita, "Thank you!" She dashed over to her desk and picked up Evelyn's metal case before racing out of her studio, across the server room and basement, up the stairs, through the dressing room, and then via shortcut: Susie Q's office.

As the door opened, the Mox Leader stood up from her desk chair and turned around, " _Alveraz_? Oh _HELL_ no. You best not be comin' in he-" The tattooed Mox zipped past Susie without saying a word. "W-what… What the _hell's goin' on in this crazy-ass bar_!? UGH," The Mox Leader threw her hands in the air before returning to her chair.

Judy peaked outside and saw V pacing in the parking lot. **Oh, thank fuck**. The techie immediately ran toward her, " _Wait_!"

She skidded to a stop in front of the mercenary, taking a moment to catch her breath. She lifted her hand up and rubbed her temples for a moment, "So… _That's it_? Only reason you're lookin' for Evie is for answers?"

The mercenary raised one of her eyebrows as she stared at her, "Er…Yeah. Just… Need some answers. Needed to know who she was workin' for. I know that someone hired her and I just needed to know who that someone was. That's all. If you were worried that I was gonna lay a hand on her or somethin'… I wouldn't of done that... Wouldn't even make sense to hurt her," V said as she folded her arms, watching Judy.

She chewed her inner left cheek while she berated herself. **Why didn't I just give her a chance to say all of this? Why'd I have to immediately get defensive? Ugh!** She looked over toward cars driving down the street for a moment before looking back at V, "Fine… All right… Evie's a doll. Used to work at Clouds."

The tattooed Mox reached into her pocket and pulled out Evelyn's metal case. She stared at it for a moment before handing it to the mercenary, "This is her cig case. It's got the address. Take it, and once you find Evie, give it to her."

"Sorry, but… I've already made other arrangements. Got someone else I can go to for help."

Judy slowly lowered Evelyn's cigarette case to her side as her shoulders slumped. **Fuck… I really did fuck this up, didn't I?** She looked away because she didn't want the mercenary to see her cry, "V… I…" She sighed, frustrated with herself, and shook her head, "I'm… I'm really sorry, okay?"

She looked back at the V, trying to keep her composure, "I... didn't mean to say a lot of the things I said back there. I…just - was afraid you wanted to hurt Evie." The mercenary looked away, clenching her jaw, "Told you already. I'm not like other mercs."

Her heart felt like it had cracked. She knew V wasn't like other mercenaries. V wasn't like anyone Judy had ever met.

The tattooed Mox placed her hand on the back of her neck, nodding toward the ground, "Yeah… I know you aren't... I'm just a _fuckin' gonk_. And I'm sorry. Just… Really sorry. I-…" Her voice broke as her eyes began to water. She looked down at the ground to hide her tears, "I do... I do trust you, V. I do. I believe everything that you said downstairs… Look, I didn't mean to hurt you, n' If I did, I'm sorry... God, I feel like such a _fuckin' gonk_."

Judy lifted the metal tin up again and stared at it quietly, "B-but uhm… Yeah… guess I understand. No means no. So, uhm… I'll just head back. V, again, I'm sorry. I really am," She took a couple of slow steps back before turning around, walking back to the bar. All she could feel was disappointment in herself.

 **I did this to myself. I understand why she doesn't want to work with me. I don't even want to work with me...** Judy couldn't continue hiding them, and her tears began to fall. As she continued to beat herself up, she didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

The mercenary slid on the parking lot's gravel as she turned to stop herself in front of the tattooed Mox. Judy gasped and froze as she stared at the woman in front of her. **V…?** Before the techie could gather her thoughts and say anything, the mercenary approached with a gentle smile.

Judy felt her heartbeat skip when she saw V's smile. She had missed it – It was the same smile V wore when they were alone together at the bar. The smile that made Judy feel nervous yet excited at the same time. She never thought she'd ever see it…

_…She never thought she'd ever see V again._

V reached down and grabbed onto Evelyn's cigarette case, "I'll head there now. See if I can find her."

Judy didn't want to let go of the tin. It connected her and the mercenary together in this moment. She stared at V, scanning her eyes over the merc's face. She couldn't believe that V was standing there – right now, in front of her. **Is she really here? Alive? Or have I driven myself insane?**

She let go of the metal case as she stepped forward. She slid her arms underneath V's, wrapping them around the mercenary's body. She gripped tightly onto V's jacket, afraid to let her go. Then she stepped even closer and gently placed her ear against V's chest. She closed her eyes, taking everything in.

First, she felt the mercenary's body heat. It wrapped itself around Judy, making her feel warm and relaxed. She felt V's chest raise each time the mercenary took in a breath, and felt it release when V exhaled. Judy slowed her own breathing to match V's.

Next, she heard V's heartbeat. It was slow, rhythmic, and peaceful. It made Judy feel calm. Then she felt V's arms wrap around her body. Judy felt herself tremble as she gripped onto the jacket tighter. The mercenary's arms were strong, yet very gentle on Judy's body. V's arms around her made her feel safe.

And finally, she felt the mercenary sigh and lean her head softly against Judy's. The world dissolved around the tattooed Mox as she felt V against her. Everything she went through over the past two weeks felt like a lifetime ago.

"Thanks… Thank you, V'' Judy whispered against V's chest. She smiled as she felt the mercenary hold onto her tighter. The way V made her feel was unlike anything she had felt before. She knew the woman holding her was alive, and she also knew she didn't want to lose this. Whatever this was.

"I'll let you know what I find out, okay?" Judy didn't respond.

There was a moment of silence between them. The tattooed Mox pressed herself even closer to the mercenary, feeling her own heart beat alongside V's.

Then Judy felt V begin to loosen her arms, "Uhm… Judy? You okay?" The techie shook her head as she pulled the mercenary back to her. She wanted more time with V – so much time had already been wasted.

"I… can't _believe_ this. Like it's just now hittin' me. I was really worried, V… really thought you were gone for good. I keep... listenin' to your heartbeat, tryin' to see if you're _really alive_. Tryin' to tell myself I haven't gone crazy and that you're _actually here_."

Judy felt V chuckle at her. The techie furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as she pulled away and looked up toward V, "Why are you _laughin_ '?" She saw a large grin spread across V's lips – Judy felt electricity explode in her chest as she realized how close she was to the mercenary's face. She stopped breathing for a moment as she experienced the ripples flow through her body.

"'cause… listenin' to my heartbeat isn't gonna help you… look, I'm real sorry to tell you this, Judy… but… You're _already_ crazy."

Judy snapped out of it immediately – **Did… Did she seriously just ruin this moment to crack a joke?**

She let go of V and lightly punched her in the stomach, "You… are _seriously_ a gonk." She stepped back with a smile on her face as she looked at the mercenary. V cocked her eyebrow and laughed, "Heh. Cute you thought that'd hurt me. Felt like a gust of wind just tickled me."

Judy immediately narrowed her eyes at V. She looked down at V's abdomen – an area she had become very familiar with for the past several minutes. She knew where the mercenary's solar plexus was, and even if she didn't have V's strength, she had brains. She balled her right hand into a fist and…

V immediately doubled over and collapsed to the ground with the air knocked from her lungs. She rocked back and forth on her back, holding her stomach, "O-ok….I…. I felt… I felt that one." She struggled to laugh as she attempted to catch her breath.

Judy slowly shook her head as a small laugh escaped her lips. She tossed the cigarette case down on the mercenary's stomach, "Here. Now go, 'fore I call the girls over 'n have them all punch you too for scarin' me half t'death."

The mercenary grabbed the cigarette case from her stomach and placed it into her jacket pocket. She rolled over and slowly stood herself up, brushing off her pants and jacket, "Okay! I'm goin', I'm goin'. If any of them hit like you do… I'd probably flatline again n'… I don't think I'd come back from _that one_." V chuckled as she looked at the tattooed Mox with a smile.

Judy cocked an eyebrow, "You're probably right. Rita _does_ have a bat n' all."

The mercenary took a step toward the tattooed Mox and cleared her throat, "But… uhm… In all seriousness, Judy… I-I'm _really glad_ I got to see you. Aside from my ripperdoc and the guy who saved my life… You're the first person I came to see since I woke up. I, uh… I wanted t-to tell you that in person. Not over the holo…"

Judy's eyes widened as she listened to the mercenary, "W-what?"

V nodded as she watched the techie, "… Yeah. You're the first person I thought of. First person I called - jumped straight into a cab to get here."

Judy looked at the mercenary, studying her eyes, "I-…I'm glad… I _really_ … wanted to see you, V."

The merc gave her a soft smile before patting her jacket pocket, "I... uhm… I'm gonna go take care of this and uh… Hopefully we can catch up soon?" The tattoo Mox nodded with a warm smile, "Yeah, I'd like that."

The techie gave the mercenary a small wave goodbye as V headed off to check on Evelyn. Judy watched her until she was out of sight before turning around with a smile on her face. As the entrance of Lizzie's came into her focus, she saw a flash of purple, pink, and light purple in the doorway before suddenly disappearing.

She immediately stopped smiling and narrowed her eyes. She jogged back toward the entrance, and as she entered, she found it unsurprising that no one was in the lobby. She looked over the counter so see if anyone was hiding there, but it was empty.

As she walked into the club room, she saw the three familiar colors. Candy was sprawled over a couch as she exaggerated loud snores, Mateo was hard at work behind the bar cleaning a glass that was already clean, and Rita was sitting at the bar, pretending to have a loud phone conversation without realizing that her phone was upside down.

Judy crossed her arms, "Were you guys spying on me?"

The three immediately stopped what they were doing. "W- _wwwhaaat_? N-naaaww. No way. I would _never_. I am just _so offended you'd accuse me_ of such a thing…," Rita said as she put away her phone. Judy cocked her eyebrow and looked over at Candy who had one eye opened and then quickly closed it as she continued to snore. Judy shook her head as she then looked at Mateo, who just responded with a shrug.

Rita motioned for the tattooed Mox to come sit with her at the bar, "Girl, I think you need a drink before the club opens and things get crazy in here… You've had quiet the day so far," Judy laughed as she walked over and sat down next to the bouncer.

Mateo walked over, handing Judy a bottle. She raised an eyebrow, "Mateo, I didn't say what I wanted yet…" She looked down; it was a dark purple bottle of _La Perle Des Alpes._

He smiled at Judy, " _S.F.T.A_ says 'Tell Judy I kept my promise.'"

Judy held the bottle and smiled.

**She remembered.**

###### 

> _**Upright 5 of Cups:** Your mind will try to shield you with a fog of confusion, anger, and fear – do not let those emotions steer you. Your heart is your beacon of hope that you must trust and follow. Though you have much to mourn over right now, listen to your heart and understand that not all is lost."_

###### 


End file.
